By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

Despite mounting calls for strong sanctions against a rocket launch by North Korea Sunday, China and Russia showed a languid response to the matter in the second round of talks at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Tuesday.

The two countries opposed a binding resolution intended to sanction Pyongyang, according to diplomats.

``The core element in this situation is the six-party talks,'' Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said.

He continued, ``The key thing is to make sure that we do not confine ourselves to an emotional knee-jerk reaction because what we do need is a common strategy and to not lose sight of the goal ― and this is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.''

The international organization hastily called a session Monday to devise a concerted response to the North's firing of a rocket, but failed to reach an agreement due to objections from the two states.

The UNSC plans to hold third session soon to discuss a response to the North's space vehicle, including whether or not to adopt a resolution.

Despite the disharmony UNSC permanent members blurring the possibility of U.N. sanctions, the United States has been pressing the organization to take a stronger stance.

``We know that working out the language is not easily done overnight but we remain convinced that coming out with a strong position in the United Nations is the first and important step that we intend to take,'' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood also called on the international organization to formulate a response, calling Pyongyang's rocket launch ``provocation.''

``The council needs to speak and speak clearly on this and we are going to work very hard to make sure that we do speak loudly, but I am not going to go beyond that right now because consultations are ongoing and what's important here is, as I said, to try to get an effective response,'' he told reporters.

Some U.S. lawmakers have sought to introduce legislation to designate North Korea a terror state again.

``The United States, and the entire global community, must take bold action against the North Korean regime,'' Sen. Sam Brownback said in a statement. ``When the Senate reconvenes later this month, I will introduce legislation urging the return of North Korea to the terrorism list and addressing the North Korea regime's deplorable human rights abuses.''

dksy@koreatimes.co.kr