[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United Nations Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee has extended the exemption period for humanitarian aid to North Korea from the previous 6 months to 9 months and decided to expedite the handling of urgent matters such as pandemics. This measure was reportedly reviewed at the proposal of the United States as the damage to North Korean residents due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been increasing.
On the 30th (local time), the UN Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee announced that, according to the revised implementation guidelines for North Korea sanctions adopted that day, the exemption period for humanitarian activities under North Korea sanctions has been extended from 6 months to 9 months. In the case of transporting relief supplies, previously, transportation had to be done all at once during the exemption period, but going forward, it has been revised to allow transportation up to three times within the period.
Additionally, the committee decided to review urgent applications from humanitarian relief organizations responding to pandemics such as COVID-19 or natural disasters more swiftly.
The North Korea Sanctions Committee stated that this revision was made at the request of the United States. The committee, composed of 15 member countries, makes decisions unanimously, and if no opposition is raised by member countries within 5 days after a revision request is submitted, it is automatically adopted. North Korea has been subject to UN Security Council sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006 and subsequent ballistic missile test launches.
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