CHINA OKS NEW STEPS TO PUNISH N. KOREA

UNITED NATIONS— The United States presented a draft UN Security Council resolution on Thursday that would impose new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, diplomats said.

The text—drafted in agreement with China, traditionally Pyongyang’s sole diplomatic and military ally—was expected to be submitted to a council vote on Friday.

The text of the draft, a copy of which Agence France-Presse (AFP) obtained, again condemns “in the strongest terms” Pyongyang’s series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

The council called on the North to “abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner” and end all ballistic missile test launches.

An annex to the resolution adds to an already lengthy blacklist another 14 individuals and four entities accused of contributing to the missile programs whose assets would be frozen and who would face a travel ban.

Those listed are bank and corporate executives involved in military financing, or officials in North Korea’s Workers’ Party.

The first on the list, Cho Il-u, is described as the man “believed to be in charge of overseas espionage operations and foreign intelligence collection” for Kim Jong-un’s regime.

The entities listed include Koryo Bank, two trading houses linked to North Korea’s military and the army’s Strategic Rocket Force.

For weeks, the United States has been negotiating with China on how to respond to Pyongyang’s missile tests.

Washington is counting on Beijing to bring the North in line.

“China has agreed to this text,” one council diplomat told AFP.—