UN Grants Sanctions Exemptions for Some Projects on North Korea... Presidential Office Says "Humanitarian Aid to North Korea Must Be Consistent"

To the North: "We hope North Korea will reciprocate our government's efforts"
Some see this as signaling a shift in the U.S. position

The presidential office stated, in response to news that the United Nations (UN) Security Council has granted sanctions exemptions for part of its humanitarian projects for North Korea, that "regardless of the political situation on the Korean Peninsula, humanitarian assistance to North Korea must be provided consistently."

Yonhap News Agency

On the 7th, an official from the presidential office said, "The UN Security Council resolutions on sanctions against North Korea also make it clear that the measures set out in the resolutions are not intended to restrict humanitarian assistance activities for North Korea," expressing this position.

Addressing North Korea, the official added, "We hope North Korea will respond to the goodwill of the international community aimed at improving the humanitarian situation and will reciprocate our government's efforts for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

Earlier, the UN Security Council Committee on Sanctions against North Korea was reported to have approved sanctions exemptions for 17 humanitarian aid projects for North Korea. Of these 17 humanitarian aid projects, 8 are run by international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); 5 are from Korea, including 3 by Gyeonggi Province and 2 by domestic private organizations; and 4 are by organizations based overseas, including those in the United States. These are not new projects; rather, they are projects that had previously received sanctions exemptions and have now obtained extensions of those exemptions after having been on hold for several months.

The UN Security Council Committee on Sanctions against North Korea grants sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid projects to North Korea by unanimous consent among its member states. However, for about nine months since the first half of last year, no sanctions exemptions were granted for any of the 17 projects, leaving them all on hold. It is understood that this was because the United States had opposed them in the sanctions exemption procedure, which requires unanimity.

The Security Council is expected to go through the necessary procedures and make an official announcement soon. Some view this as indicating a shift in the position of the United States. A senior government official also remarked, "It seems there will be new developments related to the North Korea issue within a few days."