U.N. Security Council to Begin Discussions on Strengthening Sanctions against North Korea

The U.N. Security Council has begun discussions on strengthening sanctions against North Korea, which test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

 

The U.N. Security Council held an open meeting in the Security Council meeting room of the U.N. headquarters in New York in the afternoon of the 25th (local time) to deal with North Korea and non-proliferation issues.

 

The meeting comes after six countries, including permanent members of the Security Council, including the United States, Britain and France, called for a meeting to discuss North Korea's ICBM launch.

 

Most of the board members, including the U.S., pointed out that North Korea's launch of the ICBM was a clear violation of the U.N. resolution to impose sanctions on North Korea.

 

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said North Korea's ICBM launch not only seriously violated the Security Council's resolution, but also posed a serious threat to the international community's non-proliferation efforts.

 

Thomas Greenfield said, "The Security Council should criticize North Korea's illegal activities in unison and pressure North Korea to return to the dialogue table."

 

He then stressed the need to implement existing sanctions against North Korea and mentioned the 2397th resolution adopted by the Security Council in 2017.

 

Under the so-called "trigger" clause, the resolution will further reduce the supply of crude oil and refined oil to North Korea, which is set at 4 million barrels and 500,000 barrels per year, respectively.

 

Most of the board members, including Britain and France, condemned North Korea's ICBM launch as illegal and agreed on the need for a Security Council response.

 

However, China and Russia raised the logic that the U.S. is responsible for North Korea's ICBM launch and expressed opposition to the sanctions.

 

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said, "The reason why North Korea broke the moratorium declaration announced in the wake of the summit with the U.S. is because the U.S. did not keep its promise."

 

Jang said, "North Korea kept its promise, but the U.S. did not keep its promise to stop joint military drills and threatened North Korea's security by deploying strategic nuclear weapons around the Korean Peninsula."

 

Russian Vice President Anna Evstigniva also opposed the sanctions, saying, "Both sides are responsible for the lack of progress in denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea."

 

Evstigniva argued that "strengthening sanctions further poses a threat to North Koreans."