UN further tightens North Korea sanctions

The Security Council measures adopted on Wednesday are a response to the Kim government’s fifth and largest nuclear test. The new resolution aims to shave $700 million from North Korea’s coal revenues.

The council also slapped a fresh ban on sales of four minerals – copper, nickel, silver and zinc – extending the existing roster that includes iron, iron ore, vanadium and gold.

North Korea has said any sanctions against its missile or nuclear programmes are a violation of its sovereignty and right to self-defence.

And that is precisely what this resolution achieves.

The U.N. Security Council voted November 30 to further tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to its fifth and largest nuclear test, conducted in September. “But this resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the DPRK regime for defying this Council’s demands”, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power said, according to the news agency.

At the time, the United Nations called an emergency meeting of the Security Council and has been negotiating for a new redoubling of sanctions that would be targeted at the leadership of North Korea that are not meant to have adverse humanitarian consequences on the civilian population.

State media said the warhead could be mounted on ballistic rockets and would enable North Korea to produce “a variety of smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear warheads of higher strike power”.

But they have thus far failed to deter North Korea from pursuing its nuclear ambitions.

But Jieyi also criticized the planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile battery in South Korea as potentially destabilizing for the region.

This news story is related to Latest/168820-UN-Security-Council-hits-North-Korea-with-toughest-ever-sanctions/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Tightening the conditions on coal exports under that cap, including by establishing that coal exports may not involve any individuals or entities associated with the DPRK’s nuclear, ballistic missile, or other prohibited programs and activities.

United States officials said the new sanctions would also clarify that the “livelihood” exemption applies to North Korean citizens, and can not be used to protect the livelihoods of Chinese importers.

The United Nations estimates that up to 120,000 people – men, women and children – are now imprisoned in North Korean gulags and that hundreds of thousands of political prisoners have died in such camps.

In light of these overlapping interests among allies and enemies in the region, China’s Ambassador Jieyi criticized the USA deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea as a potentially destabilizing presence that could counteract the effects of the sanctions. Roughly 70 percent of the North’s trade runs through China, including most of its food supplies.

UN Resolution cuts coal exports by 60 percent.

China has shown increasing impatience with North Korea’s defiance and approved both sanctions resolutions.

“We will make all necessary preparations, earnestly perform our duties and fulfill our mission, resolutely protect the country’s security interests and resolutely protect regional peace and stability”, he added, without elaborating.

However, on the 28, a North Korean source in China said that “On the way to Wulong Mountain from the city of Dandong, there is a military fuel supply base” from where “fuel is being exported into North Korea under the radar”.

The danger of war is further heightened by Trump’s remarks during the election campaign proposing that Japan and South Korea develop their own nuclear weapons to defend themselves against North Korea, rather than depending on the US.

But in May, the former reality television star took a decidedly softer stance toward the North Korean strongman, saying he would talk to him.

The resolution was spearheaded by the United States and came after negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China.

The sanctions unveiled Wednesday target coal exports to China in particular, which have generated more than $1 billion in income for the regime annually. The goal is to place pressure on Pyongyang’s ability to fund its nuclear program.