Philippines impounds N Korean ship

MANILA: The Philippines said yesterday it had impounded a North Korean vessel in response to tough new United Nations sanctions i ntroduced i n response to Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

The 6,830-tonne cargo ship Jin Teng will not be allowed to leave Subic port, northeast of the capital Manila, where it had been docked for three days and its crew will be deported, presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon said on state-run radio station Radyo ng Bayan.

It was the first reported case of the sanctions — the toughest to date, which were adopted late Wednesday by the UN Security Council — being enforced.

“The world is concerned over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part to enforce the sanctions,” Mr Quezon said.

A team from the UN is expected to inspect the ship in the port, located near a former United States naval base, foreign affairs spokesman Charles Jose said.

Mr Jose said the ship was impounded “in compliance with the UN resolution” and did not depend on the results of the inspections.

The Jin Teng, carrying palm kernels, was searched for the second time yesterday, this time using electronic weapons sensors, coastguard spokesman Armand Balilo said, adding the 21 crewmen were “very cooperative”.

Cmdr Balilo said no explosives, drugs or banned substances have been found.

The resolution limits or bans North Korea’s exports of certain mineral resources, a key source of hard currency for Kim Jong-un’s regime, as well as imports of small arms.

It also bans financial institutions from opening new branches or accounts in the country and blacklists a number of North Koreans, including officials active in Iran, Syria and Vietnam.

The resolution lists the Jin Teng as a ship controlled by North Korea.

There are no other North Korean ships docked in Subic, according to the coastguard.

The Jin Teng arrived in Subic from Palembang, Indonesia Thursday afternoon, just hours after the latest sanctions were unanimously passed.

In response to the UN’s move, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-emptive use at any time.

On Friday, the European Union also tightened sanctions against North Korea by adding 16 people and 12 entities to a list of some 60 individuals and groups who were hit with travel bans and asset freezes.