Yomiuri Shimbun Reports Citing UNSC Sources
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has postponed a decision on the United States’ request for additional sanctions against North Korea. This move comes in response to recent opposition from China and Russia.
On December 14, the Yomiuri Shimbun, citing sources within the UNSC, reported that the United States demanded the designation of sanctions targets, including asset freezes, on ships involved in exporting North Korean coal and iron ore to China. The U.S. argued that these vessels were engaged in export transactions prohibited by UNSC resolutions.
As a result, the North Korea Sanctions Committee discussed additional sanctions, but China and Russia, both of which support North Korea, expressed opposition and communicated their intention to put the decision on hold.
This request by the United States to strengthen UNSC sanctions against North Korea is the first such move under the second Donald Trump administration.
Previously, on November 3 (local time), the U.S. State Department announced that it was seeking to have ships involved in exporting North Korean coal and iron ore to China, in violation of UNSC sanctions, designated as targets for UN sanctions.
At the time, a State Department official stated that ships from third countries had transported and unloaded North Korean coal and iron ore-exports banned under UNSC resolutions-at Chinese ports, adding, "The UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee (1718 Committee) should immediately designate the seven vessels involved as targets for UN sanctions."
In relation to this, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that "the seven vessels delivered coal and iron ore to seven Chinese ports, and there is information suggesting that North Korea has earned between 200 million and 400 million dollars (approximately 295.5 billion to 591 billion won) annually through these exports to China."
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