Yun said the European Union plans to announce a set of unilateral sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and the recent killing is expected to have big impacts on the sanctions.

Yun said the killing was a topic when he held meetings with about 20 foreign ministers in recent days. During those meetings, Yun said he explained to them that then-Burma, now Myanmar, severed diplomatic relations with Pyongyang after the North carried out a deadly bombing attack in the Southeast Asian nation in 1983.

Yun said China's recent decision to suspend coal imports from North Korea appears to be a message that not only underlines Beijing's willingness to sincerely carry out UN Security Council sanctions, but also demonstrates the change in China's perceptions of the North.

Earlier in the day, Yun and the British foreign minister agreed to work closely together to cope with threats from the North based on the understanding that the North's nuclear and missile development constitutes a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious threat not only to the region, but also to the entire international community, his ministry said.

Yun asked his British counterpart Boris Johnson for cooperation in strengthening sanctions and pressure on the North so as to make it realize that there is no other choice but to go nuclear-free.

Johnson expressed concerns over the North's fast-evolving nuclear and missile capabilities and promised to closely work together with South Korea in faithfully implementing relevant UNSC sanctions. He also vowed to make efforts to induce tougher restrictions on Pyongyang from the EU, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)