And it decided further that this provision shall not apply if such offices, subsidiaries, or accounts are required for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Hong Lei, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Friday at a daily news briefing that the Security Council sanctions should not affect the everyday life of people in the DPRK.

The UN Security Council's resolution cannot fundamentally solve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and relevant parties need to return to dialogue and negotiation, said Hong.

Echoing this point, the resolution calls for a resumption of the six-party talks, a multi-lateral dialogue mechanism brokered by China in efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The talks also involve the United States, Russia, Japan, as well as the two sides on the Peninsula.

While reiterating "the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia at large," the resolution expresses the council's commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation.

In a series of violations of relevant Security Council resolutions, the DPRK conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan 6 and launched a satellite on Feb 7 which is widely believed to have used ballistic missile technology banned by previous UN sanctions. Pyongyang said it was a peaceful satellite launch.

The DPRK has previously conducted three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively.

Right after the DPRK's first nuclear test, the Security Council adopted a resolution to impose sanctions on the DPRK and set up a sanctions committee.

In response to the nuclear tests conducted by the DPRK in 2009 and 2013, the Security Council has adopted another three resolutions to strengthen various sanctions against the DPRK, which include an arms embargo, an embargo related to nuclear, ballistic missile, and a ban on the export of luxury goods.