The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee called for aggressive enforcement of new U.N. Security Council sanctions adopted Wednesday in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.

"Kim Jong-un's reckless and dangerous acts threaten the security of the U.S. and the entire Pacific region," Rep. Ed Royce said in a statement, referring to the North's young leader. 

Royce said the U.S. government "must work to see that everyone aggressively enforces these -- and all previously existing -- multilateral sanctions on the Kim regime."

He also urged President Barack Obama to use all the authority given to him under the recently enacted North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act to cut off cash to the North's weapons programs.

"We must use every tool we have to keep North Korea from building an advanced nuclear arsenal capable of striking the United States and our allies," he said.

Rep. Matt Salmon, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, also welcomed the latest U.N. sanctions.

"I am pleased to see the international community recognize that more significant pressure must be applied for North Korea to give up its proscribed nuclear and missile programs," he said in a statement. "I call on all U.N. member states to swiftly implement and enforce all international sanctions and restrictions on North Korea." (Yonhap)