Un to Vote on Stronger Sanctions Resolution on N. Korea This Week

Over in New York. It looks like the UN Security Council will adopt a resolution imposing stronger sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear program later this week. The new resolution will include fresh financial and diplomatic sanctions on top of existing measures. Hwang Sung-hee has the details. The UN Security Council has edged closer to expanding sanctions on North Korea for its latest nuclear provocation. At a closed-door meeting of the 15-nation council in New York on Tuesday, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice introduced a new draft resolution, which she defined as "some of the toughest" sanctions ever imposed by the UN. "For the first time ever, this resolution targets the illicit activities of North Korean diplomatic personnel, North Korean banking relationships, illicit transfers of bulk cash and new travel restrictions." The list of sanctions includes tighter inspections of suspect ships and air cargo as well as a stronger ban on imports of luxury goods by North Korea. The proposed resolution was forged through an agreement by Washington and Beijing after three weeks of negotiations and will be up for a vote by the full Security Council on Thursday. With China on board, the vote on the resolution is expected to be unanimous. China, which has a history of backing North Korea, its closest ally, made it clear that a strong signal must be sent to Pyongyang this time and added that Washington and Beijing share a common goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. If the resolution is adopted, it will be the fourth round of UN sanctions imposed on North Korea for its nuclear program and follows the country's third nuclear test last month. Meanwhile, in a congressional hearing in Washington on Tuesday, a high-profile American expert said efforts by the UN to prevent North Korea's nuclear ambitions have been a failure and he called for a global action plan to prevent Pyongyang from exporting its nuclear arms. He said Washington must work closely with Seoul and perhaps come up with plans to squeeze North Korea, both financially and economically. Hwang Sung-hee, Arirang News.