US working with China, South Korea and Japan on new sanctions against North Korea

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US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (C) answers a question during a press briefing as Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho (L) and South Korean Ambassador Tae-yul Cho listen before a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:43am, 17 May 2017Updated: 10:25am, 17 May 2017

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday she is working with China, South Korea and Japan on a new set of sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang’s most recent ballistic missile test.

The US and its allies will push for further measures to isolate North Korea in a special meeting of the UN Security Council aimed at halting the country’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons that could reach as far as the US mainland, Haley said, standing alongside her South Korean and Japanese counterparts.

The US also wants to extend sanctions to countries supporting North Korea as a way to halt the flouting of existing UN sanctions on the country.

“[The US is] looking at third-country entities who are helping North Korea and putting sanctions on them because if you are supporting North Korea you are against the rest of the international community,” Haley said.

North Korea conducted its seventh ballistic missile test this year on Sunday, just ahead of the opening of an international infrastructure forum in Beijing, attended by 29 heads of state.

A member of the Japan Self-Defence Forces stands by a PAC-3 Patriot missile unit deployed against the North Korea's missile firing. The Patriots are designed to intercept an incoming missile at its “terminal stage” - just before it hits - if the Aegis’ ship-based SM-3 missiles fail to intercept them farther out and higher up. Photo: AP