N. Korea's Kim Jong Un to ride out sanctions in nuclear push
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SEOUL (REUTERS) - Fresh UN sanctions are unlikely to halt North Korea's nuclear programme given that seven years of previous measures from the world body and more than 50 years of US penalties have failed to dissuade North Korea from trying to develop banned weapons.
Under new leader Kim Jong Un, the North has pursued its nuclear programme even more aggressively, experts in Seoul said.
The 30-year old Kim, in power for just over a year, also seems more willing to shun China, his sole powerful backer, than his father Kim Jong Il was, one of the experts said.
The UN Security Council is set to agree another round of sanctions against North Korea later on Thursday in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test on Feb 12, bringing the measures more into line with a tough regime imposed on Iran.
