Security Council to hold ministerial-level meeting on DPRK

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council (UNSC) will hold a ministerial-level meeting Friday on the "threats and challenges" posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to international peace and security, diplomatic sources said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are expected to be present at the meeting to be chaired by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, with the presence of a DPRK representative.

Some other Security Council members will also be represented at the ministerial-level meeting, according to the sources.

Japan, the rotating chair of the UNSC in December, has circulated a note, suggesting Security Council members could focus on nuclear and missile development programs as well as other weapons of mass destruction.

Members have also been asked to consider ways to maximize pressure on Pyongyang, including through full implementation of relevant council resolutions and additional sanctions measures "in response to further provocations".

The members are also interested in the follow-up to UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman's visit to Pyongyang from Dec. 5-8.

Feltman briefed them Tuesday on his visit, during which he met with DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Guk and toured a number of UN project sites.

In his briefing, Feltman expressed concern that his interlocutors "did not appear to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation" and were not ready to engage in substantive negotiations, the sources said. Enditem