South Korea imposes unilateral sanctions on North Korea after missile tests

The sanctions prohibit the export of statues and a number of metals and limit coal exports by 60 percent. Regulations on the North’s other mineral resource exports will also be strengthened. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article. The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, which is 160 feet tall and is Africa’s largest statue, was designed and built by North Korea.

He also stressed the need for the incoming Donald Trump administration to maintain the tough sanctions on the North. Japan absolutely can not tolerate these acts of violence.

China, believed to be the only country buying North Korean coal, would slash its imports by some $700 million compared with 2015 sales under the new sanctions, diplomats said.

South Korea said it has compiled a comprehensive list against the North, which would blacklist dozens of high-profile North Korean officials, including Kim’s closest aides, Choe Ryong Hae and Hwang Pyong So. Those measures included an exemption for coal exports that were for “livelihood” purposes, but American and South Korean officials privately complained that Beijing was allowing coal to flow nearly unfettered out of North Korea.

Because the Pyongyang’s won is seldom accepted in other nations, they must make their purchases – for equipment, machinery, and other goods – in foreign currency.

Sixty-nine organizations, including the Workers’ Party and the State Affairs Commission, and 79 individuals will be subject to punitive measures in connection with Pyongyang’s nuclear activities. The same day, the Japanese government announced the establishment of its own independent sanction plan, which would include increased regulations on personal transactions, a ban on all vessels departing from North Korea – including those under a Japanese flag – and increased freezing of assets for companies and groups doing business with North Korea in third countries. The measures could also target North Koreans who work through Chinese banks.

The defiant statement Thursday came as both South Korea and Japan announced further restrictions on the state, including on visits by foreign missile and nuclear experts. “This presents a new level of threat, and such outrageous acts are absolutely unacceptable”, Abe said.

North Korea has opposed the sanctions even more vociferously.

The tougher United States approach reflects growing impatience with China and a view that it has not strictly enforced existing sanctions to help curb Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, which a USA policy of both sanctions and diplomacy has failed to dent.

He also raised the unresolved issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese nationals as one of the threats presented by the country.

What do you think of this latest round of sanctions?

Hwang also took part in the high-level inter-Korean dialogue at the joint border village of Panmunjom which led to the breakthrough August 25, 2015 deal that de-escalated high military tension after the maiming of two South Korean soldiers in a land mine explosion. In comments to Reuters, Danny Russel, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said that the US would inform Beijing of any Chinese companies violating the United Nations resolution and expect it to act.