It has been confirmed that multiple individuals designated as 'travel ban targets' by the UN Security Council accompanied Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, during his visit to Russia. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin directly mentioned his intention to assist North Korea in satellite production, signaling that the two countries are blatantly disregarding Security Council sanctions and cooperating in the wake of the North Korea-Russia summit.
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting and shook hands on the 13th (local time) at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
On the 13th (local time), Kim Jong-un and President Putin held a summit at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia. The North Korean delegation included Ri Pyong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission and considered the top military official, Kim Jong-sik, Vice Director of the Military Industry Department, Jo Chun-ryong, Director of the Party Military Industry Department, and Jang Chang-ha, Director of the National Defense Science Institute. All of these individuals are currently designated as travel ban targets under Security Council resolutions.
Vice Chairman Ri Pyong-chol and Vice Director Kim Jong-sik were designated as travel ban targets in December 2017 under UN Security Council Resolution 2397 due to their involvement in the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), while Director Jo Chun-ryong and Director Jang Chang-ha were designated in November 2016 under Resolution 2321. Since both resolutions were unanimously passed by all permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia, Russia’s approval of their visit effectively contradicts the resolutions it helped enact.
This blatant disregard by the two countries for Security Council and international sanctions is expected to continue. Through this summit, it is highly likely that North Korea provided Russia with conventional weapons necessary for the invasion of Ukraine, and in return, Russia supplied North Korea with advanced military technology such as satellites.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Chairman Kim stated, "Russia has embarked on a sacred fight," and expressed his intention to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by saying, "We will always stand together in fighting imperialism and building sovereign states." President Putin responded to a question about whether Russia would assist North Korea in satellite production by saying, "We came here (to the cosmodrome) for that reason."
Despite the arms trade with North Korea violating Security Council sanctions, Russia’s prolonged invasion of Ukraine and resulting shortages have led it to ignore these restrictions.
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