Additional sanctions needed on North Korea: U.S. senator

North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches have reignited calls in the U.S. for further sanctions on the regime.
But, the Trump administration although urging North Korea to cease any further provocations... said if it wants to restart nuclear talks.
Lee Seung-jae reports.

The latest launches of what South Korea described as two "new" short-range ballistic missiles is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions on the North,... and may hinder the chances of Pyeongyang and Washington restarting their nuclear talks anytime soon.
Republican Senator Cory Gardner,... Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia took to Twitter on Wednesday,... to call on the Trump administration to impose further sanctions on North Korea and "its enablers".
Democratic Senator Ed Markey,... a ranking member of the same subcommittee, said if the reports of the launches are true,... they would violate UN resolutions.
Other U.S. officials have questioned whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is serious about denuclearizing his regime,... adding that flexibility on easing sanctions may not be the best option.
President Trump,... who has always praised the North Korean leader and their friendly personal relationship,... has yet to comment on the launches.
When the North previously fired missiles in May,... Trump downplayed them and reaffirmed his confidence that Kim will uphold his commitment to denuclearize.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday urged the regime to refrain from further provocations,... adding it still hopes for a resumption of working-level talks on the regime's denuclearization.

"I think what the president has said, and what the president has stressed and the secretary as well, is that we want to have diplomatic engagement with the North Koreans. We, you know, continue to urge the North Koreans to resolve all of the things that the president and that Chairman Kim have talked about through diplomacy. We urge no more provocations and to, that all parties should abide by our obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions."

While U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had hinted at a possible working-level meeting in the coming weeks,... observers say the North's latest missile tests might mean that's a non-starter, at least for the time being.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.