The UN Security Council will hold consultations on the DPRK and non-proliferation at 1600 GMT Tuesday. South Korea's foreign ministry says the UN has made significant progress on sanctions that would punish the DPRK for its third nuclear test last month.

The UN Security Council said it would like to strengthen the provisions, from previous sanctions' resolutions adopted after the DPRK's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. Most of the provisions related to the inspection and seizure of shipments of banned items and toughening financial restrictions.

Cho Tai-young, spokesman of South Korean Foreign Ministry, said, "We expect there will definitely be additional elements to the previous resolution, and progressive elements in the new UN Security Council resolution over sanctions against North Korea."

The UN Security Council strongly condemned the DPRK's third nuclear test on February 12, and vowed to take action against Pyongyang. Pyongyang said at the time that the test was an act of self-defence against US hostility and threatened stronger steps if necessary. The nuclear test was carried out despite a Security Council warning and resolution in January expanding UN sanctions against the DPRK for its December rocket launch.