North Korea to face new sanctions, U.N. Security Council says By Emily Alpert April 16, 2012, 9:11 a.m. North Korea will face added sanctions after its failed attempt to propel a satellite into space, the United Nations Security Council announced Monday, condemning the launch in a brief statement. The U.N. Security Council "deplores that such a launch has caused grave security concerns in the region," Council President Susan E. Rice said in the statement. The 15-member council unanimously passed a presidential statement condemning the launch. Though North Korea said it was launching a weather satellite, the failed launch last week was widely suspected of being a cover for testing ballistic missile technology. "The Security Council underscores that this satellite launch, as well as any launch that uses ballistic missile technology, even if characterized as a satellite launch or space launch vehicle, is a serious violation" of two previous council resolutions, the statement said. It is unclear so far what exactly the new sanctions will be. The Security Council said it would add "additional entities and items" to be sanctioned within 15 days. The failed launch increases the chances that North Korea will carry out a nuclear test to repair its wounded reputation, U.S. officials and outside analysts told The Times. The isolated regime has tested its nuclear devices twice in the past, both times after attempting to launch a satellite. There are already signs that history may repeat itself: South Korean intelligence recently detected evidence that its northern neighbor was gearing up for another nuclear test. The U.N. Security Council demanded that the regime abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and desist from any additional "launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any further provocation."