New North Korea Sanctions Body Proposed... North Korea Calls It an "Illegal Slander Organization"

UN Security Council's 'North Korea Sanctions Panel' Fails Due to Russian Opposition
New Sanctions Monitoring Body Led by South Korea, US, and Japan Proposed
North Korea Protests Three Times in Two Weeks... "Robber-like Behavior"

North Korea has shown a sensitive reaction by protesting three times over the course of fifteen days against the promotion of a new North Korea sanctions monitoring body. Although the 'Panel of Experts,' which had been monitoring sanctions implementation for the past 15 years under Russia's oversight, was dissolved, the establishment of a new body led by South Korea, the United States, and Japan is being discussed.

According to the government on the 9th, Kim Sun-kyung, Deputy Director of the International Organizations Department of North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a commentary released through the Korean Central News Agency on the evening of the previous day, "Despite suffering a miserable failure at the United Nations Security Council, there is no sign of self-reflection at all, and the act by the United States to fabricate another sanctions monitoring body led by themselves is a typical example of egotism, considering themselves a supranational entity above international law."

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is delivering a speech at Kim Il-sung Military University on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He argued, "If the United States' robber-like behavior is tolerated and encouraged, the wrongful international practice of fabricating illegal slanderous organizations targeting arbitrary countries and imposing unilateral sanctions will become customary," adding, "We express serious concern over the United States' arbitrary use of illegal sanctions as a club and strongly condemn it." Previously, North Korea criticized the promotion of the new North Korea sanctions monitoring body through statements by Kim Eun-chul, Deputy Director for U.S. Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 25th of last month, and by Kim Song, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the 5th of this month. In his statement, Kim Song disparaged, "Even if hostile forces fabricate second or third groups of experts in the future, they are destined to self-destruct over time."

The 'Panel of Experts' under the UN Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee, which had monitored sanctions implementation for 15 years, was dissolved due to Russia. In March of this year, a resolution to extend its term by one year was attempted but was vetoed by Russia, one of the permanent members of the Security Council. The panel was established in 2009 under UN Security Council Resolution 1874 in response to North Korea's second nuclear test. It independently investigated various situations suspected of violating North Korea sanctions and published reports twice a year. However, with its activities halted after 15 years, the international community has lost an effective means to monitor the enforcement of North Korea sanctions. Russia is suspected of trading weapons with North Korea or supplying large quantities of refined oil.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, spoke on the 1st (local time) at the UN Headquarters in New York, representing 50 countries including South Korea, the US, and Japan, regarding the end of the term of the expert panel under the UN Security Council's North Korea sanctions committee.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Currently, 50 UN member countries centered around South Korea, the United States, and Japan are promoting an 'independent monitoring body.' According to diplomatic sources, options under serious consideration include creating a new North Korea sanctions monitoring organization within the UN General Assembly (not the Security Council) or establishing a body outside the UN in the form of a country-specific consultative group. Given that Russia and China, who act as North Korea's 'backers' and turn a blind eye to illegal activities such as intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, are permanent members of the Security Council, this is interpreted as an intention to create a new form of monitoring body beyond their influence.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, stated on the 1st (local time) in a statement on behalf of 50 countries, "We must consider ways to continue accessing objective and independent analysis to address North Korea's development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles."

A government official said, "The North Korea sanctions resolutions are still valid, and all UN member states' obligations to comply with North Korea sanctions remain unchanged," adding, "As a Security Council member, the government will work with the international community to devise effective measures to ensure the faithful implementation of North Korea sanctions."

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