The United States Monday urged North Korea to stop its "chest-thumping," warning of further isolation and continued implementation of international sanctions on the reclusive communist state for its nuclear and missile tests and other provocations.
Speaking to reporters, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said, "Certainly the firing of a very large number of rounds in the region is the last thing that we want to see and is certainly not the best way to reduce tensions."
Crowley was responding to North Korea's firing Monday of more than 100 artillery shells in waters near the disputed sea border with South Korea.
"It's unclear to us exactly what North Korea feels it is trying to achieve through this ongoing chest-thumping that it has engaged in," Crowley said. "It is not a helpful sign by North Korea. This is exactly the kind of behavior that we would like to see North Korea avoid. All we can say is that we will continue to work effectively and closely with South Korea, other
countries in the region, and there will be no reward for North Korea for these provocations."
The barrage comes on the heels of a five-day naval exercise by South Korea, which focused on anti-submarine operations at the scene of the
sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March with the loss of 46 lives.
North Korea has threatened to retaliate for the exercise and for South Korean-U.S. joint military drills in the East Sea in late July, which were conducted in a show of force against the North's torpedoeing of the Cheonan, which Pyongyang vehemently denies.
Washington has said it will send the nuclear supercarrier USS George Washington to the Yellow Sea for future military drills with South Korea
despite strong objections from North Korea and China.
Crowley said North Korea's provocations will lead to further isolation.
"We're likely to see more provocations," he said. "There will be no reward for these provocations. North Korea will continue to be isolated. We will continue to work with the international community to fully implement
Resolution 1874. We will continue to find ways, as we've talked about, to put pressure on the North Korean government to change course."
The resolution imposing an arms embargo and economic sanctions was adopted by the U.N. Security Council early last year after the North's
nuclear test, the second after one in 2006.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton also addressed North Korea's artillery barrage.
"Obviously the president wants to make sure that everybody is doing what they can to make sure that region is stable and there's security for folks all over the region," he said.
Washington says it will announce later
this month a new list of North Korean entities and individuals involved in trading weapons, luxury goods, counterfeit money, cigarettes, drugs and other illegal activities banned by U.N. resolutions.
The U.S. currently blacklists more than 20 North Korean entities and individuals.
Washington has said it will not resort to legislation to sanction foreign companies and banks involved in transactions with blacklisted North Korean entities and individuals, unlike the case with Iran, but rather will establish "new executive authorities" to try to persuade the international community to voluntarily cut off ties.
China, a lifeline to North Korea as the major provider of fuel, food and other necessities, has been reluctant to slap sanctions on North Korea,
focusing instead on reviving the six-party nuclear talks, which have been stalled over the U.N. sanctions.
Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser on nonproliferation and arms control who oversees implementing sanctions on North Korea and Iran, has said that he, together with Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant secretary of the treasury for terrorist financing and financial
crimes, will visit Beijing later this month to discuss sanctions on North Korea and Iran.
On the South Korean fishing boat seized by North Korea last week for an apparent navigation failure, Crowley said, "We are aware that they have taken a fishing vessel in the high seas. It's unclear the specific circumstances. South Korea is investigating that incident."