US Proposes New UN Security Council Sanctions on North Korea... Halving Fuel Supply

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The United States is pushing for new sanctions against North Korea at the United Nations Security Council in response to North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches.

According to major foreign media on the 13th (local time), the U.S. distributed a draft resolution this week to the 15 Security Council member states that includes expanding the missile ban range on North Korea, reducing oil imports, and freezing the assets of hacker groups.

The sanctions proposal includes expanding the ban on North Korean ballistic missiles to cover all delivery systems that can be used for nuclear weapons, including cruise missiles.

It also includes measures to cut North Korea's crude oil and refined oil export volumes in half to 2 million barrels and 250,000 barrels annually, respectively, and to prohibit the export of mineral fuels, mineral oil (a hydrocarbon mixture derived from petroleum), and their distilled products to North Korea.

The proposal also contains provisions to block the export of tobacco leaves and tobacco products to North Korea, which is analyzed as targeting North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, who is known to be a smoker.

It also includes measures to freeze the assets of the Lazarus hacker group, which the U.S. believes is operated by North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau. Lazarus is identified as behind the ransomware WannaCry attack, hacking of multiple international banks and accounts, and the 2014 cyberattack targeting U.S. Sony Pictures, which produced a film mocking the North Korean regime.

The sanctions proposal also specifies a ban on acquiring or facilitating the acquisition of information and communication technology or related services from North Korea.

Major foreign media reported, "It is currently uncertain whether this sanctions proposal will be put to a vote, and if so, when." For the sanctions to be adopted, at least nine of the Security Council member states must vote in favor, and none of the five permanent members?the U.S., the U.K., France, China, and Russia?must exercise their veto power.

China and Russia have already expressed opposition to strengthening sanctions against North Korea in response to its missile tests. Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the UN, said in an interview with major foreign media on the same day, "Additional sanctions will not help ease tensions and may worsen the situation."