South Korea, China discuss North Korean politics

China's foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, called Ban late Thursday and they "consulted regarding the resolution," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy. He didn't give further details.

Photo: South Korea, China discuss North Korean politics

South Korea's presidential security adviser Song Min-soon also held telephone discussions Thursday with U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser J.D. Crouch on how to handle the North's missile launches, the president's office said Friday.

Song and Crouch "concurred that international community needs to send a clear message to the North over its missile tests and the relevant issue should be resolved diplomatically through the North's return to the six-party talks," the South's presidential office said, referring to stalled nuclear disarmament negotiations, the AP reports.

The council is wrestling over two rival draft resolutions addressing North Korea's test launches. Japan wants the council to impose mandatory sanctions on North Korea while China and Russia want a softer condemnation of the North's missile launches.

South Korea, which has no say in the council, has voiced its opposition to sanctioning the North, citing the negative implications it would have on the Korean Peninsula and the stalled six-party talks on the North's nuclear program.