Security Council divided on N Korea nuclear test threat

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Wednesday struggled to find common ground on a response to North Korea's plan to test a nuclear bomb, with US Ambassador John Bolton conceding that "there's division".

"At this stage, there's division," Bolton said after emerging from closed-door consultations on Pyongyang's announcement that it intends to test a nuclear device.

British colleague, Emyr Jones Parry, announced that all council members had expressed concern about the North Korean threat and decided to let their experts work on crafting a "strategic response" later on Wednesday.

"We will find out in this experts' meeting this afternoon what North Korea's protectors on the council are going to do," the US envoy said, in an apparent reference to China and Russia.

Bolton called the North Korean announcement a "very serious threat" that requires the 15-member council "to speak very firmly."

But Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya took exception to Bolton's comments, particularly his reference to North Korea's protectors on the council.

"We are all concerned about the North Korean announcement. On this issue, everybody is unanimous...No one is going to protect them," he added.

The Chinese envoy also said that all council members support the idea that "the six-party talks (should) be the main channel to address the issue".

"We need to make it clear that the (North Korean) threat has to be withdrawn", Bolton said.