UN Security Council holds talks 30 minutes after NK launch

The United Nations called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council less than 30 minutes after North Korea`s rocket launch was confirmed Friday.

The U.N., which confirmed that the North clearly violated a Security Council resolution at the meeting held at 10 a.m. Friday in New York, immediately discussed follow-up measures. The meeting was called based on the judgment that the launch constituted a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874 and "jeopardized international peace and security."

The resolution was taken against the North for its underground nuclear test conducted on May 25, 2009, and was approved by all members of the 15-member council. The resolution is legally binding in line with Clause 41, Article 7 of the U.N. Charter. Pyongyang violated this time the clause banning "any missile and rocket tests using nuclear and ballistic missile technology."

Whether the Kwangmyongsong-3 proved to be failure or not has nothing to do with violation of the resolution, according to most U.N. diplomats. A source at North Korea’s mission to the world body told The Dong-A Ilbo over the phone, “It was a satellite, not rocket.” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement from Geneva Thursday, “I believe that if North Korea fires something, be it a satellite or missile, member states will refer the matter to the Security Council.” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that since the North clearly used ballistic missile technology, it has violated the U.N. resolution.

Three types of conclusions are expected from Friday’s meeting of the Security Council, and the final results will likely come in seven to 10 days. The strongest measure is a Security Council resolution. Significant measures adopted by the U.N., including military action, international sanctions and deployment of peacekeeping troops, are taken through resolutions, which are binding under international law. For a resolution to be adopted, however, it requires a strict procedure: none of the five standing member states of the council -- the U.S., China, Russia, France and Britain -- should oppose such a measure and nine council members should approve it. Undoubtedly, the biggest variable is China.

The second strongest action after a resolution is a chairman`s statement. The U.S. chairs the Security Council this month. Such a statement can be issued if and when 15 member states agree, but is not legally binding.

The White House said that though the North’s launch ended in failure, such an act of aggression posed a threat to regional security and constituted a violation of international law and Pyongyang’s promise with Washington. The U.S. has suspended food aid to North Korea accordingly.

In a statement issued about 2 hours and 20 minutes after the launch, White House spokesman Jay Carney called the launch a clear violation of the U.N. resolution that has made it effectively impossible for Washington to implement a food aid program for the North. Considering the pattern of aggressive behavior by North Korea, he added, the latest incident is nothing surprising but any act on missiles taken by the North is an issue of concern for the international community.

The U.N. Security Council has adopted 11 resolutions, eight chairman`s statements and four media statements against North Korea since June 25, 1950, when it urged North Korea to withdraw its forces from South Korea on the day the Korean War broke out.

witness@donga.com yhchoi65@donga.com