UN slaps sanctions on N. Koreans amid US warning
UNITED NATIONS, United States: The UN Security Council on Friday imposed sanctions on 18 North Korean officials and entities as the United States vowed to respond to Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear tests “through other means, if necessary.”
The council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that put North Korea’s suspected spy chief, 13 other officials and four entities on the UN sanctions blacklist, hitting them with a global travel ban and an assets freeze.
“The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today: Stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences,” US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council.
“Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary,” she added.
China, Pyongyang’s ally, backed the sanctions but renewed its appeal for dialogue to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi described current tensions as “complex and sensitive” but added that there was “a critical window of opportunity” to return to “the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations.”
“It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and do more to ease tension and build mutual trust, instead of the contrary,” Liu added.
Among those added to the sanctions blacklist was Cho Il-U, believed to be the head of foreign espionage for Kim Jong-Un’s regime.
The other 13 included senior officials from North Korea’s Workers’ Party and heads of trading firms tasked with securing purchases for Pyongyang’s military programs.
The strategic rocket force of the North Korean army, two trading firms and the Koryo Bank, linked to a party office that manages Kim’s finances, were also hit by an assets freeze.
The resolution however did not contain some of the biting sanctions that the US administration had floated last month, such as an oil embargo, a ban on maritime shipping, trade restrictions and curbs on North Korean workers abroad.
The 18 names will be added to the current blacklist of 39 individuals and 42 North Korean entities already under UN sanctions.
North Korea has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States. — AFP
Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary. — Nikki Haley, US Ambassador