SANCTIONS ON N.KOREA POSTPONED

[Anchor Lead]

Washington proposed additional sanctions on North Korea for its continuous missile provocations in recent weeks. But the proposition has not been adopted as China and Russia asked the U.N. Security Council to postpone its discussion. And no results will likely be produced at a UNSC meeting held behind closed doors.

[Pkg]

Reuters has reported that the discussion of Washington's proposition to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang's missile development officials has been postponed at the request of China and Russia. On January 12, the U.S. announced its own sanctions against officials from North Korea's Academy of National Defense Science. It requested that the UNSC also impose additional sanctions against the same figures. China and Russia said they needed more time to deliberate on the matter, which is actually construed as their rejection of Washington's proposition. Following China and Russia's request, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas Greenfield issued a joint statement with eight other nations including Japan and the U.K. It calls on all member states to be unified in condemning Pyongyang's violation of UNSC resolutions.

[Soundbite] Linda Thomas-Greenfield(U.S. ambassador to U.N.)

Prior to the UNSC meeting, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the UNSC had no plans to discuss sanctions against North Korea, thus expressing a negative stance on Washington's proposition. Foreign media outlets say adopting a communique on Pyongyang's continuous missile launches at a UNSC meeting held behind closed doors on early Friday morning Korea time might have been difficult. North Korea is strongly protesting the U.S. government's recent attempts to impose sanctions. In time for a news conference marking the first anniversary of the Biden administration, Pyongyang said it would consider the resumption of nuclear and missile tests.