UN divisions pose threat to North Korea snactions

The UN Security Council unanimously approved tough sanctions against North Korea for its claimed nuclear test, but today divisions over how to enforce them signalled that implementation may not be easy.

One of the biggest differences was over a call on countries to inspect cargo leaving and arriving in North Korea to prevent any illegal trafficking in unconventional weapons or ballistic missiles.

The final resolution was softened from language authorising searches, but was still unacceptable to China - North Korea's closest ally and largest trading partner - which said it would not carry out any searches.

Japan and Australia promised today to immediately enforce the sanctions and said they were considering imposing harsher penalties of their own. South Korea also pledged to implement the measures but gave no details on how it would do so.

The Security Council already had to overcome sharp divisions to approve the sanctions on Saturday.

The US-sponsored resolution demands North Korea eliminate all its nuclear weapons but expressly rules out military action against the country, a demand by the Russians and Chinese.

The resolution orders all countries to prevent North Korea from importing or exporting any material for weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missiles. It orders nations to freeze assets of people or businesses connected to these programmes, and ban the individuals from travelling.

North Korea immediately rejected the resolution, and its UN ambassador walked out of the council chamber after accusing its members of a "gangster-like" action which neglects the nuclear threat posed by the US.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer welcomed the UN resolution today as "surprisingly tough" and said his country was considering stronger measures of its own.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan was also considering additional sanctions against North Korea, following its move on Friday to ban trade with the North and close its ports to North Korean ships. Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Japan could support US forces inspecting cargo in and out of the North, though he did not give details.

China is uncomfortable with the possibility of the US interdicting ships near its coasts, though US Ambassador John Bolton has said he expects most inspections would be performed at ports. China reiterated it wouldn't conduct any inspections and called for caution.

"China strongly urges the countries concerned to adopt a prudent and responsible attitude in this regard and refrain from taking any provocative steps that may intensify the tensions," China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya said.

Today China said it hoped the resolution would lead to a peaceful resolution.

"We maintain that the action by the Security Council should clearly state the firm stance of the international community, create conditions conducive to the peaceful resolution of this issue through dialogue and negotiations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.

South Korea, which has taken a conciliatory approach to the North and provided its neighbour with massive amounts of aid, said it will honour the UN resolution but did not elaborate on its plans for inspections.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, indicated the sanctions would not affect a tourism venture and a joint industrial complex in the North, saying the "projects have nothing to do with the weapons of mass destruction programme".

Critics have urged the South Korean government to halt the two projects, saying that funds may be diverted for the North's nuclear weapons programme.

The Security Council condemned the nuclear test that North Korea said it conducted on October 9. It demanded that North Korea immediately return to six-nation talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to dismantle its weapons programme without precondition.

Bolton said on Saturday the next step is to start working on implementing the resolution.

"Hopefully on saner reflections perhaps they'll begin to accept that if they don't change course, the only future for them is continued isolation," he said.

In a measure aimed at North Korea's tiny elite, the resolution also bans the sale of luxury goods to the country. The North's reclusive leader, Kim Jong Il, is known for his love of cognac and lobster and collection of thousands of bottles of vintage French wine.

To meet Russian and Chinese concerns, the Americans eliminated a complete ban on the sale of conventional weapons. Instead, the resolution limits the embargo to major hardware such as tanks, warships, combat aircraft and missiles.

The US and other nations trying to persuade the North to give up its atomic programme continued a flurry of high-level diplomatic visits, including a trip to Asia by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meant to present a unified front to North Korea.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev, who visited North Korea last week, arrived in South Korea today. The chief US envoy to the six-nation talks, Christopher Hill, will visit Japan on Monday, the US Embassy in Tokyo said.

After meeting Seoul's top nuclear negotiator, Chun Yung-woo, today, Alexeyev said both countries agreed to try to revive the six-nation talks.

The Russian diplomat said he was repeatedly told in Pyongyang that the North Koreans want to pursue international dialogue and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. When asked if sanctions would work in winning a peaceful solution, he said "we cannot say just now".

Pyongyang has boycotted the six-nation talks for the past 13 months to protest financial measures imposed by Washington for alleged counterfeiting and money-laundering.