By Yoon Sojung

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted new resolution No. 2356 on June 2, placing additional sanctions on North Korean due to its continued provocative missile firings.

In the resolution, the U.N. Security Council said that, “The U.N. Security Council expresses serious concerns that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has continued to violate relevant Security Council resolutions through repeated launches and attempted launches of ballistic missiles.”

It also urged Pyongyang to "abandon its ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and to immediately cease all related activities.”

The U.N. Security Council also said that it “reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large, and expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation.”

It also added that, “The U.N. Security Council welcomes efforts by council members, as well as other states, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, and stresses the importance of working to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.”

The newly adopted resolution No. 2356 focuses on a travel ban and an assets freeze for organizations and individuals that are involved in Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development. The resolution included a list of four North Korean organizations, including Koryo Bank, and 14 individuals.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on June 3 that it “supports the U.N. Security Council’s adoption of resolution No. 2356 in response to North Korea’s continued ballistic missile launches.”

The ministry said, “The South Korean government will cooperate with the international community and faithfully fulfill the resolution as a U.N. member-country in order to make efforts toward the goal of fundamental denuclearization of North Korea using all means, including sanctions and dialogue.”

“We hope North Korea will stop its provocative acts that put peace on the Korean Peninsula and across Northeast Asia at risk,” said the ministry.

“We hope that Pyongyang can accept the united demands of the international community and have dialogue and take action toward denuclearization in a speedy manner, and become a responsible member of the international community,” it said.

arete@korea.kr