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SEOUL, April 14, 2009 (AFP) - South Korea said Tuesday the UN Security Council's statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch sent a stern message to the communist state.
The government "welcomes and supports" the presidential statement, said foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young.
He described the response as appropriate and noted that it described the April 5 launch as a contravention of Resolution 1718, adopted in 2006 after Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests.
"North Korea will have to clearly recognise that the international community issued a stern and unified stance through the Security Council's presidential statement, and refrain from provocative acts undermining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia," Moon said.
Backed by the United States and Europe, Japan had pressed for a resolution, which would have carried more weight.
But China and Russia urged restraint to avoid harming prospects for six-party nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea.
The North says it launched a communications satellite while the United States and its allies say its purpose was to test a long-range missile.
Council members agreed to tighten existing sanctions imposed on the North under Resolution 1718, which demanded that it refrain from a further nuclear test or another ballistic missile launch.
The resolution banned the supply of items related to the programmes and called for the assets of companies or individuals engaged in the trade to be frozen.
It also prohibited trade in weapons such as artillery and tanks and the provision of luxury goods - an item aimed at the regime's leaders.
The council by April 30 will designate entities to be subjected to an asset freeze and goods that would be banned from transfer to or from North Korea.
Spokesman Moon also applauded the UN statement's call for early resumption of the six-way talks.
A Seoul official quoted Monday by Yonhap news agency said about 10 North Korean companies would likely be sanctioned by the UN over the rocket launch.
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