MSMT Publishes First Report on Monitoring North Korea... Focuses on "North Korea-Russia Military Cooperation"

by Son Seonhee

Published 29 May.2025 22:00(KST)

The Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), established by 11 countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan to monitor the implementation of sanctions against North Korea, has published its first report approximately six months after its launch, focusing on "North Korea-Russia military cooperation." The MSMT pointed out that blatant violations of United Nations sanctions resolutions against North Korea are being committed in the course of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 29, the first MSMT report covers the following topics: mutual transfer of weapons between North Korea and Russia; the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia; key individual and corporate networks and means of transportation used in illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia; and other related violations of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, such as excessive supply of refined petroleum products to North Korea, the dispatch of North Korean workers abroad, and North Korea-Russia financial transactions.

Additionally, the report recommends that the international community closely monitor and strengthen the implementation of sanctions against North Korea, cooperate on the designation of additional UN sanctions targets, and enhance the sharing of information related to the evasion of sanctions against North Korea.

The countries participating in the MSMT issued a joint statement on the occasion of the publication of this first report, stating, "We once again emphasize our shared commitment to fully implementing the UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea," and adding, "We urge North Korea to engage in meaningful diplomatic efforts, and call on all countries to join international efforts to maintain peace and security by confronting those who facilitate North Korea's continued threats and violations of Security Council resolutions."

This MSMT report is expected to help draw the international community's attention to, and raise awareness of, various illegal activities taking place in the process of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. Furthermore, although the panel of experts was disbanded in April last year due to Russia's exercise of its veto, the establishment of the MSMT under South Korea's leadership in October last year has allowed the international monitoring network on North Korea's illegal sanctions violations to be maintained.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The MSMT will continue to publish accurate and authoritative reports on violations and evasions of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, based on information cooperation among participating countries," and added, "We will also continue our efforts to further expand cooperation with the international community, including private organizations." The official further stated, "The government, under its position of actively supporting the faithful implementation of Security Council resolutions by the international community, will continue to work closely with participating countries to effectively fill any gaps in the sanctions monitoring system against North Korea and to contribute to its strengthening."