The United Nations Security Council is working to draw up a fresh resolution "as quickly as possible" to penalize North Korea for its latest nuclear detonation test, but it will not sacrifice substance to rush a decision, Washington's envoy to the U.N. said Monday.

   Amb. Samantha Power made the remark in a meeting with a group of reporters after having talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on the North Korea issue. She came to Seoul on Saturday for a four-day stay after traveling to Japan.

   "We are working around the clock to secure the passage of this resolution as quickly as possible," Power said. "(But) we are not going to sacrifice or shortchange our ambition, to rush this out.

We want this resolution to be practically impactful on the ground."

   Power's visit to South Korea is regarded as unusual given that the UNSC is currently working on a fresh resolution to punish the North for conducting its fifth nuclear test last month.

   It also comes amid concerns that the North could carry out yet another major military provocation to mark the anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers' Party.

   During her stay in South Korea, Power toured the truce village of Panmunjom and met with North Korean defectors. a move seen as efforts to highlight the solid alliance between Seoul and Washington and growing concerns over the abject human rights situation in the North.

   She reaffirmed a strong alliance with the South and her visit here gave her a chance to exchange views on the ongoing negotiations on the resolution.

   "I learned a great deal. We are completely in lock step about the negotiations in New York. I had a chance to talk with the minister and others about our shared priorities for the negotiations," she said.

   Asked about a challenge in forming a unified front with China, the close ally to the North, Power said that Washington has engaged the country "at the highest level" and added that it will "maintain and deepen" contact.

   "With regard to Russia or any country, we will exert all the political influence that we can, on behalf of the strongest possible resolution, and just as I and my team have been working around the clock, on this issue... we will work around the clock to try to shore up support from all council members," she noted.

   Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Yun told reporters that South Korea is considering "much stronger" sanctions of its own against the North compared with those adopted in the wake of Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January. (Yonhap)