United States calls for UN vote increasing sanctions against North Korea

The United States has called on the U.N. Security Council to vote Monday on a draft resolution increasing sanctions on North Korea, as the nation continues to challenge the international community with its weapons testing.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations announced the move in a statement on Friday evening.

North Korea has continued to test the resolve of the Trump administration and American allies as it pursues its military ambitions, including the ability to strike the U.S. with nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. Last weekend, President Donald Trump again warned of the dangers the country posed, just hours after reports emerged that the North had performed its sixth, and largest, nuclear test.

"North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test," he wrote on Twitter. "Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States."

The president has repeatedly singled out other countries, primarily China and South Korea, for their handling of North Korea, and is reportedly considering reworking trade pacts with South Korea if the country does not toughen its stance.

North Korea has, in recent weeks and months, inspected a missile that it says is capable of delivering a hydrogen bomb — a claim that national security officials have questioned — in addition to its ICBM tests.

South Korea on Friday was on high alert for another ballistic missile test from Pyongyang, possibly timed to anniversary celebrations of the country's founding, The Associated Press reported.

The U.N. Security Council in August unanimously agreed to sanctions targeting North Korea's largest source of external revenue by imposing a total ban on all exports of coal, in addition to iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

U.S. lawmakers in late July also overwhelmingly agreed to increase economic sanctions against the country.!