The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose limited sanctions on North Korea for its recent missile tests and demanded that the reclusive communist nation suspend its ballistic missile program. North Korea immediately rejected the resolution and vowed to continue missile launches. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said North Korea set "a world record" for a rejection -- in just 45 minutes -- but warned that Pyongyang's failure to comply could lead to further council action. The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea -- and it bans all countries from receiving missiles, banned weapons or technology from Pyongyang. It condemns North Korea's multiple missile launches on July 5 and demands that North Korea "suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program" and re-establish a moratorium on missile launching. It also strongly urges North Korea to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program, which have been stalled since last September. North Korea's U.N. Ambassador Pak Gil Yon, who was in the Security Council chamber for the vote, spoke afterward and accused the council of trying to isolate his country, known officially as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea resolutely condemns the attempt of some countries to misuse the Security Council for the despicable political aim to isolate and put pressure on the DPRK and totally rejects the resolution," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. The Korean People's Army "will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defense in the future, too," he said. Pak also told the council the six-party talks were a separate issue and made no mention of North Korea returning to them.
