North Korea ‘Outraged’ By Latest UN Sanctions
North Korea’s communist regime was furious over the latest crippling sanctions against it. The new set of draconian of US-drafted sanctions were taken earlier in the week in response to the country’s repeated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.
The regime slammed the sanctions, saying, “We fully reject the latest UN sanctions … as a violent breach of our republic’s sovereignty and an act of war that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and a wider region.”
Pyongyang’s foreign ministry said in a statement on the state-run KCNA news agency, “The United States, completely terrified at our accomplishment of the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, is getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever sanctions and pressure on our country.”
The regime was defiant, threatening the US government over their ambitious pursuit of nuclear proliferation.
The statement added, “We will further consolidate our self-defensive nuclear deterrence aimed at fundamentally eradicating the U.S. nuclear threats, blackmail and hostile moves by establishing the practical balance of force with the U.S.”
In addition, the communist regime said those who voted for the sanctions would face Pyongyang’s wrath.
“Those countries that raised their hands in favor of this ‘sanctions resolution’ shall be held completely responsible for all the consequences to be caused by the ‘resolution’ and we will make sure for ever and ever that they pay a heavy price for what they have done,” the statement said.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted in favor of the resolution; all 15 members of the council, including China and Russia, backed the sanctions.
Hammering Sanctions Hit North Korea
Resolution 2397 entails cutting exports of gasoline, diesel and other refined oil products by a total of 90%.
The resolution seeks to ban exports of industrial equipment, machinery, transportation vehicles and industrial metals to North Korea as well. It requires countries to repatriate North Koreans working abroad within 24 months.
A total of 16 North Korean officials, mostly in the banking sector, were added to the sanctions black list along with the ministry that manages the logistics of its armed forces.
The resolution also requires countries to stop ships from illegally providing oil to North Korea through ship-to-ship transfers and prohibits them from smuggling North Korean coal and other prohibited commodities by sea.
US On Denuclearizing North Korea
The United States remains committed to a denuclearized North Korea that respects the rights of its citizens.
In June 2009, the United Nations unanimously adopted resolution 1874, imposing stricter sanctions on the recalcitrant regime.
That resolution has 34 points, the first of which “Condemns in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK on 25 May 2009 (local time) in violation and flagrant disregard of its relevant resolutions, in particular resolutions 1695 (2006) and 1718 (2006), and the statement of its President of 13 April 2009 (S/PRST/2009/7).”
Since the adoption of Resolution 1874, many countries have intercepted and seized tons of contraband cargo, including a massive arms shipment uncovered by Thailand in December. These interdictions show that some countries are taking seriously their obligations to enforce tough measures. The United States says it will continue to press on sanctions implementation until there is concrete, verifiable progress on denuclearization.
Kim Jong Un, the communist leader of North Korea.
