"...And No IPod, TV, Video Games or Long Range Missile Tests For A Month, You Hear Me?...."

There's an obvious problem here.

More on that shortly.

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- Officials from the United States and the United Nations say the U.N. Security Council will meet Friday to discuss North Korea's botched long-range missile launch -- an act U.N. officials called deplorable and destabilizing despite its failure.

Amid concerns that North Korea will try to recover from the embarrassing failure with a nuclear test or military move, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the secretive country's regime not to "undertake further provocative actions that will heighten tension in the region."

The missile launch was heralded by North Korea as "an inspiring deed and an event of historic significance." The missile broke apart shortly after launch Friday morning, then fell into the ocean.

North Korea said the missile was designed to carry an observation satellite into orbit. But the United States, South Korea and Japan said that was a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test.

The launch drew condemnation from United States and countries in the region, as well as an unusual admission of failure from Pyongyang. The normally secretive regime has previously insisted that failed launches had actually been successful.

The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday on the launch, two U.N. diplomats and a U.S. official told CNN. The meeting had previously been scheduled, U.S. officials said.

Before the launch,, diplomats had warned that Pyongyang would face further isolation if it went ahead.

The U.S. official said that, despite the launch's failure, "it will not change our response."

The last time Pyongyang carried out what it described as a satellite launch, in April 2009, the U.N. Security Council condemned the action and demanded that it not be repeated.

That rocket traveled 2,300 miles before its third stage fell into the Pacific Ocean. And in 2006, a missile failed after about 40 seconds in flight.

Governments insisted that Pyongyang would still face consequences for flaunting U.N. resolutions.


It should, in fairness, be noted that the United Nations response falls, at the very least, into the category of something better than nothing.

Not much better, though.

Which brings us to the problem mentioned earlier.

Sanctions, like any other form of punishment, are intended to serve as notice that future similar behavior will not be tolerated, resulting, ideally, in a modification of said behavior.

Think grounding a teenager for missing curfew.

Here's the problem.

The punishment won't move the transgressor one inch toward that behavior modification if they are, for example, psychotic and, therefore, unable to recognize the fair, just and right thing to do.

Like, for instance, a drug addled teenager.

Or anyone in power, at any given time, in North Korea.