UN backs watered-down North Korea sanctions

Geneva, Sept. 12: The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously approved new sanctions on North Korea but not the toughest-ever measures sought by the Trump administration to ban all oil imports and freeze international assets of the government and its leader, Kim Jong Un.

The resolution, responding to Pyongyang’s sixth and strongest nuclear test explosion on September 3, does ban North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and condensates. It also bans all textile exports and prohibits any country from authorising new work permits for North Korean workers — two key sources of hard currency for the northeast Asian nation.

As for energy, it caps Pyongyang’s imports of crude oil at the level of the last 12 months, and it limits the import of refined petroleum products to 2 million barrels a year.

The watered-down resolution does not include sanctions that the US wanted on North Korea’s national airline and the army.

North Korea blasted the “vicious” sanctions and threatened revenge against Washington, who it blamed for leading the charge.

“The Washington regime fabricated the most vicious sanctions resolution,” Pyongyang’s ambassador in Geneva told the UN. Ambassador Han Tae Song said North Korea denounced Washington’s “evil intention” and would “make sure the US pays a due price.”