North Korea upset over UN Security Council sanctions

North Korea just increased the stakes in its fight to have a nuclear program, including nuclear weapons. After the United Nations Security Council endorsed new sanctions Friday, N.Korea said it will "weaponize" its stockpile of plutonium.

North Korea upped the ante in the war of words, saying that plans were in the works to "weaponize" its plutonium. North Korea has also said it will engage in military actions should any of its ships be stopped under the new sanctions. The reaction was anticipated, and has heightened concerns of retaliation by North Korea, which is seen as being unstable. North Korea issued a statement in response to the sanctions in which it blames the United States and Japan for the UN decision.

"The U.S. and Japan, not content with this 'resolution', are hatching dirty plots to add their own 'sanctions' to the existing ones against the DPRK by framing up the fictional issues of 'counterfeit money' and 'drug trafficking'.

Watchers anticipate a third nuclear weapons test to be conducted by North Korea in the near future. The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved sanctions against North Korea on June 12. The key demand from the Security Council is that North Korea abandon its nuclear program. The sanctions will restrict the weapons flow to and from North Korea, as well as prevent North Korea from financing it's nuclear program. While China, which has a representative on the Security Council, seems to have agreed to the sanctions, it is not clear how China will act. China is North Korea's biggest trade partner. The UN decision means that personnel may stop and inspect North Korean planes and ships carrying cargo , with the power to seize and destroy any goods being shipped in violation of the sanctions. It is strongly believed that North Korea has been engaged in selling arms to at least 18 different countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East for some time. The United States has been leading efforts to curtail North Korea's nuclear program. South Korea has expressed fears that North Korea will respond to the sanctions by testing another nuclear The International Crisis Group says that there are very few options available for dealing with North Korea when negotiations fail, as they have. North Korea has a population of about 22 million people.