The US has accused North Korea of "begging for war" and pushed for the "strongest possible measures" on Pyongyang following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

As world powers scramble to react to the latest grave step in the North's rogue weapons programme, South Korea launched major live-fire naval drills to warn its isolated neighbour against any provocations at sea Tuesday morning local time.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Washington will present a new sanctions resolution to be negotiated in the coming days, with a view to voting on it next Monday.

"Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy," Haley told the meeting Monday called by the United States, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea.

North Korea on Sunday triggered global alarm when it detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile.

The underground blast had a yield of between 50 and 100 kilotons, or on average more than five times more powerful than the bomb detonated over Hiroshima, UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman told the council.

Declaring that "enough is enough," Haley said incremental sanctions imposed on Pyongyang since 2006 had failed.

Leader Kim Jong-Un's "abusive use of missiles and his nuclear threats show that he is begging for war," she said.

"War is never something the United States wants and we don't want it now, but our country's patience is not unlimited," she said.

- 'Insulting' -

Haley did not spell out what measures Washington was seeking, but diplomats said they could target oil supplies to North Korea -- potentially dealing a major blow to the economy.

New sanctions could also seek to curb tourism to the country and ban North Korean laborers sent abroad.

The draft text was expected to be presented to the 14 other council members on Tuesday as the United States sought to respond quickly to reports that North Korea was preparing another missile launch.

Pyongyang in July fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that apparently brought much of the US mainland into range and Seoul has said it could be planning another test.

At the UN, China's ambassador Liu Jieyi warned that the crisis was worsening and emphasized the need for dialogue and a diplomatic solution.

"China will never allow chaos and war on the (Korean) peninsula," he asserted.

Liu urged the parties to agree to a Chinese-Russian plan calling for the North to freeze its missile and nuclear tests and the United States and South Korea to suspend joint military exercises.

Haley rejected the proposal as "insulting."

"When a rogue regime has a nuclear weapon and an ICBM pointed at you, you do not take steps to lower your guard. No one would do that. We certainly won't," she declared.

Russia said it would study the new US proposals for sanctions, but again stressed those measures alone would not resolve the crisis.

"This is not the way to get parties to the table to seek a political solution," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

The council has imposed seven sets of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, but Pyongyang has repeatedly found ways to circumvent the measures.

The most recent resolutions, however, have zeroed in on the economy, targeting key exports sectors such as coal that are a source of hard currency for the regime.

Haley reiterated US threats to impose sanctions on countries that conduct trade with North Korea, saying these nations will be seen as "giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions".

That could have major reverberations: China is the largest trading partner of both the North and the United States.

- South Korean response -

South Korea's defense ministry said it was already strengthening its defenses, in part by deploying more US-made Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile launchers.

The South carried out an early-morning volley of ballistic missiles Monday simulated an attack on the North's nuclear test site, followed Tuesday by the naval drills.

US President Donald Trump and South Korean leader Moon Jae-In spoke on the phone Monday and agreed to remove limits on the payload of the South's missiles, fixed at 500 kilograms according to a 2001 bilateral agreement.

Trump also approved in principle, the sale of "many billions of dollars' worth of military weapons and equipment from the United States by South Korea," according to a White House readout of the call which did not mention any specific new deals.

Seoul was the fourth-biggest importer of US arms between 2010-2016, purchasing nearly $5 billion of weaponry in that period according to an analysis by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

On Sunday US monitors measured a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake near the North's main testing site.

Hours before the test, the North released images of Kim inspecting a device it called a "thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power" entirely made "by our own efforts and technology".

The South's defence minister said Seoul believed the North had succeeded in miniaturising a bomb to fit into a missile.

The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion, and analysts say it is seeking to strengthen its hand for any future negotiations with Washington.

UN sanctions on North Korea
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 4, 2017 - The United States announced on Monday that it will present a new UN sanctions resolution to punish North Korea for its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

The UN Security Council has imposed seven sets of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.

Here's a look at the UN sanctions in place, which have progressively been tightened:

- Arms embargo -

The Security Council first imposed an arms embargo and a ban on a range of imports and exports to prevent North Korea from conducting nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles in October 2006.

In June 2009 the ban was extended to all military material, financial transactions and technical training related to the supply and use of arms, nuclear and missile technology.

In 2013 that provision was further strengthened to allow countries to seize and destroy material connected to North Korea's weapons programs.

In 2016, the council expanded sanctions to include mandatory inspections of all cargo from North Korea at all airports and ports.

- Travel, luxury goods, assets -

A UN sanctions committee was established in 2006 to put together a blacklist of persons and entities deemed to be providing support to North Korea's banned programs. The sanctions list currently contains 62 individuals and 50 entities.

The targeted sanctions provide for a global travel ban and a freeze on their assets.

All countries have to prevent the sale of luxury goods, like watches and sports equipment, to North Korea, a measure designed to hit Pyongyang's elites.

- Exports -

In March 2016, the council toughened sanctions by banning exports of coal, iron and iron ore from North Korea, except in cases where the revenue did not benefit the North Korean military or Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Pyongyang was also prohibited from exporting gold, titanium and rare minerals used in high tech products and can no longer buy aviation fuel including rocket fuel, except for passenger planes.

On November 30, 2016, in a new resolution, the UN tightened the noose, capping exports of North Korean coal to China, which is currently the only market for North Korean coal.

In August, after two launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the council imposed a total ban on exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, fish and seafood.

It also froze work permits for North Korean laborers sent abroad to earn hard currency for the regime.

- Are sanctions effective ? -

Experts and diplomats agree that sanctions have a limited impact and are only one tool in the broader international effort to persuade North Korea to change its behavior.

UN sanctions experts have reported to the council that North Korea has found ways to circumvent sanctions and that implementation by UN member-states is weak.

Some diplomats argue that the most recent sanctions have been significantly tougher, targeting North Korea's economy, and that those will take some time to have an impact.

China has steadfastly rejected calls for an oil embargo, fearing that an economic collapse in neighboring North Korea would lead to chaos and a more dangerous security crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, individual countries have imposed unilateral sanctions, notably the United States, the European Union and Japan.

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North Korea: Facing limited options, Trump may choose sanctions
Washington (AFP) Sept 3, 2017
Despite the US warning on Sunday of a "massive military response" to any threat from North Korea, the Trump administration has few good options to force the North to rein in its nuclear and missile programs following Pyongyang's most powerful nuclear test yet. Its best hope may be to further expand its already wide-reaching economic sanctions against the North, hoping this new pain might fin ... read more

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