The UN Security Council discussed ways to issue a press release condemning North Korea for test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile or ICBM on the afternoon of the 25th, local time, but could not come to a conclusion.



A UN official said, "A plan to issue a press statement at a closed Security Council meeting was pursued, but it was canceled due to opposition from China and Russia."



Earlier, the Security Council held an open meeting to address the North Korean issue at the UN headquarters in New York.



Most of the members of the Security Council, including the permanent members of the Security Council such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, pointed out that the North Korean ICBM launch is a clear violation of UN sanctions against North Korea.



US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said North Korea's ICBM launch not only seriously violated the resolutions of the Security Council, but also constituted a serious threat to the international community's non-proliferation efforts.



Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said, "The Security Council must unanimously criticize North Korea's illegal activities and put pressure on North Korea to return to the table of dialogue."



He then referred to Resolution 2397 adopted by the Security Council in 2017, emphasizing that existing sanctions against North Korea should be firmly implemented.



According to the so-called 'trigger' clause, if North Korea fires an ICBM, it is stipulated that the upper limit of supply of crude oil and refined oil to North Korea, which is currently set at 4 million barrels and 500,000 barrels per year, respectively, can be further reduced.



However, China and Russia oppose the tightening of sanctions, arguing that the US is also responsible for North Korea's ICBM launch.



China's ambassador to the UN, Chang Jun, argued that the reason North Korea broke the moratorium declaration announced during the summit with the United States was because the United States did not keep its promises.



"North Korea has kept its promise, but the United States has not kept its promise to suspend joint military exercises," said Ambassador Jang.



Anna Evstigniva, the Russian delegation to the UN, also opposed the tightening of sanctions, arguing that both sides are responsible for the lack of progress in the denuclearization dialogue between the United States and North Korea.



After the members made their remarks at the public meeting, they made the meeting private, and discussed ways to issue a joint statement, but it was not adopted by opposition from China and Russia.



The plan to strengthen sanctions against North Korea according to the trigger clause is expected to be discussed at a future Security Council meeting.