North Korea could face unilateral sanctions over nuclear tests, US envoywarns

Threat follows country's largest ever nuclear test, which generated an explosion triggering an artificial magnitude five earthquake

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects the Korean People's Army (AFP/Getty)

The United States has threatened to place new unilateral sanctions on North Korea, following the east Asian country’s fifth and largest nuclear test on Friday.

A US special envoy met with Japanese officials on Sunday and said afterwards the United States may add to existing sanctions against North Korea, Reuters reported. US President Barack Obama made similar comments immediately after Friday's explosion.

North Korea called the threat of further sanctions laughable, and vowed to continue increasing it's nuclear capacity.

The pariah country detonated its most powerful nuclear explosion to date on Friday. State media claimed the nation had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile, significantly increasing the threat it poses to enemy nations.

Global leaders were united in their condemnation of the provocative move, with the United Nations Security council calling an immediate emergency meeting to discuss a coherent international response. The United States, Britain and France pushed for the 15-member body to impose new sanctions.

After speaking to South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday, Mr Obama said they had agreed to work with the Security Council and other powers to vigorously enforce existing measures and to take “additional significant steps, including new sanctions”.

The United States representative for North Korea policy, Sung Kim, said: “In addition to action in the Security Council, both the US and Japan, together with the Republic of Korea [South Korea], will be looking at unilateral measures, as well as bilateral measures, as well as possible trilateral cooperation."

Specific details of the US unilateral sanctions have yet to be decided, Kim said, speaking to reporters in Tokyo. He said both the US and Japan were looking at “a full range of possibilities, in terms of additional unilateral sanctions that can be implemented."

But North Korea responded with derision.

“The group of Obama's running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their 'strategic patience' policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out," said a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman in a statement, according to state media.

“As we've made clear, measures to strengthen the national nuclear power in quality and quantity will continue to protect our dignity and right to live from augmented threats of nuclear war from the United States," the spokesman added.

Sanctions placed on North Korea were increased following the country's fourth nuclear test in March, but apparently had no impact as a deterrent to the state's nuclear policy.

South Korea also emphasised the need for fresh countermeasures including a new UN security council resolution, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement.

South Korea said on Saturday that the latest test showed North Korea's nuclear capability was expanding fast and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was unwilling to alter course.

North Korean state media reported on Sunday that people in the country were “delighted” by the nuclear test.

“The enemies can no longer deny the strategic position of our country as a nuclear weapons state,” the report said.