North Korea warns US over sanctions

US-drafted resolution watered down to placate Russia and China, which have veto powers

North Korea warned the US yesterday that it would pay a “due price” for spearheading efforts for fresh sanctions on the regime following its latest nuclear test, which diplomats say the United Nations (UN) Security Council will vote on later in the day.

But a US-drafted resolution originally calling for an oil embargo on the North, a halt to its key exports of textiles and subjecting leader Kim Jongun to a financial and travel ban appears to have been watered down to placate Russia and China, which both have veto powers, diplomats said.

It no longer proposes blacklisting Kim and relaxes sanctions earlier proposed on oil and gas, a draft reviewed by Reuters shows. It does however still proposes a ban on textile exports.

North Korea was condemned globally for conducting its sixth nuclear test on September 3, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) head Jens Stoltenberg said at the weekend that North Korea’s “reckless behaviour”, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes, was a global threat and required a global response.

The tensions have weighed on global markets, but yesterday there was some relief among investors that North Korea did not conduct a further missile test this weekend when it celebrated its founding anniversary.

Efforts denounced

Still, North Korea denounced efforts by Washington to impose new UNbacked sanctions against the country. The North’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the US was “going frantic” to manipulate the Security Council over Pyongyang’s nuclear test, which it said was part of “legitimate self-defensive measures.” “In case the US eventually does rig up the illegal and unlawful ‘resolution’ on harsher sanctions, the DPRK shall make absolutely sure that the US pays due price,” the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official KCNA agency.

“The world will witness how the DPRK tames the US gangsters by taking a series of actions tougher than they have ever envisaged,” the unnamed spokesman said.