South Korea Calls for 'Easing North Korea Sanctions'... US Says 'Sanctions Must Be More Perfectly Enforced'

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong attended the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 1st and responded to lawmakers' questions. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The U.S. State Department emphasized "enforcement of sanctions" in response to Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong's remarks that there is a need to consider "easing sanctions on North Korea." Meanwhile, Minister of Unification Lee In-young, currently on a European tour, also demanded a "progressive stance on easing sanctions," raising concerns about a discord as the U.S. focuses instead on the full enforcement of sanctions.

On the 1st (local time), Foreign Policy, a U.S. diplomatic news outlet, reported that the U.S. State Department pointed out in a report submitted to Congress in April that the international community's lack of capacity to enforce sanctions is one of the most critical challenges to the full implementation of sanctions on North Korea.

The State Department urged allies to impose additional sanctions under their sanction authorities and stated that it supports foreign governments and private companies in identifying and halting North Korea's illicit arms trafficking, luxury goods activities, coal and mineral trade, and money laundering. Foreign Policy also added that U.S. efforts to sanction 23 vessels and 50 entities and individuals were blocked due to China's opposition.

While officials from our government have called for "easing sanctions on North Korea," the U.S. is instead pursuing faithful enforcement of sanctions on North Korea. On the 1st, during the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Chung responded to a lawmaker's question, "Is it time to ease sanctions on North Korea?" by saying, "It is now time to consider easing (sanctions on North Korea)."

Minister Lee, on a European tour, also emphasized at a meeting with Bartold Baszczykowski, Vice Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Korea Peninsula delegation, "To drive North Korea's return to dialogue and progressive steps toward denuclearization, the international community needs to take a more progressive stance on easing sanctions related to humanitarian and livelihood sectors."

Accordingly, concerns are being raised that there could be a discord between the U.S. and our government, which desires the full enforcement of sanctions on North Korea. The State Department reportedly responded to Minister Chung's remarks about considering easing sanctions by stating, as reported by Voice of America (VOA), "It is important for the international community to send a strong and unified message that North Korea must halt provocations, comply with obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, and engage in sustained and intensive negotiations with the United States."

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