UN to pressure N Korea over test
By Morris Jill,WNS Seoul Correspondent
SEOUL - North Korea is set to come under renewed diplomatic pressure on Friday as the UN Security Council prepares to debate the North's nuclear test threat. Council members are reportedly close to agreeing a statement urging Pyongyang to cancel any test and return to talks. The North's reclusive leader Kim Jong-il made his first appearance since Tuesday's threat, shown by state TV being cheered at an army event.
Some observers have warned that a test could come as early as this weekend. "Based on the development so far, it would be best to view that a test is possible this weekend," Japan's Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi told Japanese TV after talks with US officials in Washington. UN Security Council members, meeting late on Thursday, reached broad agreement on a statement, Reuters news agency reported. The draft text was being sent to governments for possible changes before being discussed later on Friday by the Security Council.
The US and Japan had called for a strong response, but the text is not thought to make any explicit mention of Chapter VII, which allows the UN to enforce its demands. Reuters quoted diplomats as saying China, North Korea's closest ally, and Russia may seek further changes to the text on Friday. Beijing has urged restraint and called for the issue to be handled in revived six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Russia said on Thursday it was holding direct talks with Pyongyang to try to persuade it from carrying out a test.
Kim Jong-il was greeted with "stormy cheers of hurrah" at a military rally, the official KCNA news agency reported. It did not say when he made his appearance, but it is the first to be reported in three weeks. He congratulated his military commanders for "bolstering" the country's armed forces and urged them to "further strengthen the battalions", KCNA said. North Korea has not specified where or when a nuclear test might be carried out.
posted by wnsworld @ 5:44 PM
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