US Urges China to Fully Comply with North Korea Sanctions Obligations

Pressure for North Korea Sanctions Likely to Continue Under Biden Administration

Robert O'Brien, U.S. White House National Security Advisor

Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, arrived in South Korea on the 8th for a 3-night, 4-day visit, amid increasing intensity and severity of U.S. sanctions against North Korea targeting China. Attention is focused on what changes the Joe Biden administration will show in the future. Recently, the Donald Trump administration tightened the screws on North Korea sanctions ahead of the transition of power, and since key figures in the next U.S. administration's diplomatic and security line have also emphasized North Korea sanctions and international cooperation, it is widely expected that this stance will be maintained going forward.

On the 7th (local time), Harry Kazianis, Director for Korea at the U.S. think tank Center for the National Interest, wrote in a contribution to the security specialist media outlet '1945' that Robert O'Brien, U.S. National Security Advisor (NSC) at the White House, urged that "China, as a United Nations (UN) member state and especially as a Security Council member, fully fulfill its obligations (to implement North Korea sanctions)."

In an interview with Director Kazianis on the 5th, Advisor O'Brien emphasized, "North Korea sanctions are Security Council-led sanctions, and China has a special obligation to implement them," adding, "They (China) say they want to participate in and lead multilateral organizations, so they must fulfill their obligations to implement multilateral sanctions." He also pointed out that China continues to allow the inflow of North Korean workers and remittances to North Korea and is responding loosely to trade in North Korean goods such as coal.

The pressure on China to participate in North Korea sanctions is expected to continue under the next U.S. administration. Tony Blinken, nominated as the first Secretary of State under the Biden administration, has emphasized working-level negotiations with North Korea to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, while also stressing the strengthening of sanctions against North Korea and cooperation with neighboring countries for negotiations. In September, he appeared on CBS and argued, "To bring North Korea to the negotiating table, we need to apply real economic pressure, and that means pressuring China." Jake Sullivan, the next White House NSC Advisor, also emphasized China's role in 2016 by stating, "China must participate in strategies to increase pressure on North Korea."

Meanwhile, China is reportedly openly violating North Korea sanctions through illegal coal trade with North Korea. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th, based on interviews with senior U.S. State Department officials and satellite images provided by the State Department, that ships flagged by North Korea have directly transported coal to Ningbo-Zhoushan, China, hundreds of times over the past year. Assuming coal was sold at $80 to $100 per ton, North Korea's coal export revenue this year is estimated to reach $330 million to $410 million (approximately 358.5 billion to 445.5 billion KRW).

Satellite images provided by the State Department to WSJ on August 12 captured multiple ships flying the North Korean flag loaded with coal moving near Ningbo-Zhoushan. The newspaper reported that this indicates China is not hiding its violation of North Korea sanctions. Another satellite image from June 19 provided by the State Department shows a barge flying the Chinese flag loading coal at Nampo Port in North Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.