Susan Rice, US permanent representatives to the UN: DPRK’s rocket launch raises security concern. (Photo: Xinhua)

The UN Security Council has approved a statement recommending expanded sanctions against Democratic People’s Republic of Korea following its failed satellite launch last week. The Council yesterday warned that it will take strong action if Pyongyang conducts another launch or a new ballistic missile test. The statement said that based on a resolution imposing sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 and 2009 after DPRK carried out nuclear weapons tests, the UN Security Council decided to extend these sanctions, and asked its committee monitoring sanctions against DPRK to prepare new additions for the sanctions list within 15 days. The statement condemned the DPRK’s recent rocket launch as a serious violation of UN resolutions.