North Korea To Conduct New Salvo Of Missile Tests Following Recent UN Sanctions

North Korea is preparing to conduct new missile tests following the latest round of sanctions against it by the United Nations.

The UN on Dec. 1 imposed additional sanctions that seek to block North Korea’s revenue obtained from exports by 25 percent. The sanctions bar member-states from purchasing North Korean copper, nickel, silver and zinc exports, and the sale of large statues, a favored purchase for African dictators. The sanctions followed a recent North Korean underground nuclear test, U.S. intelligence agencies were quoted as saying by Washington Times Wednesday.

In the past, Pyongyang responded to similar sanctions with provocative missile launches.

North Korea has drastically progressed in miniaturization of its nuclear weapons and allegedly possesses at least 88 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium, South Korean Defense Ministry had said in September this year.

North Korea has been under pressure from the international community since its January nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch in February, which resulted in tightening sanctions against Pyongyang in the new UN Security Council resolution in March. On September 9, Pyongyang carried out a new nuclear test at its northeastern nuclear test site.

North Korea conducted its ninth missile launch in October this year prior to the US presidential elections.

The intermediate-range ballistic missile, 'Musudan' failed. The missile has an estimated range of 2,000 miles and its development has set off alarm bells in the Pentagon and in Japan. Officials said the next missile test could be a Musudan launch to counteract the earlier test failure.