US to propose UN sanctions on multiple North Koreans
January 13, 2022, 8:00 am

US to propose UN sanctions on multiple North Koreans

USA-New York-Flag of USA-Manhattan/Pixabay

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the US United Nations ambassador announced Wednesday, the United States will propose UN sanctions on multiple North Koreans, a day after Pyongyang carried out what it said was the launch of a hypersonic missile.

AFP said that earlier in the day, the US Treasury and State Departments imposed sanctions on five North Koreans linked to the country's ballistic missile program.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Wednesday evening that on top of these actions, "the US is proposing UN sanctions following North Korea's six ballistic missile launches since September 2021, each of which were in violation of UN Security Council resolutions."

Her statement, posted on Twitter, did not specify the type of sanctions.

North Korea-Pyongyang-Kim Il Sung square/Pixabay

But according to an American diplomatic source, the United States will propose adding the Treasury and State Department designees to the UN's own list of sanctioned North Korean individuals and entities.

The proposal must formally go through the UN Security Council's committee on North Korean sanctions, which is comprised of the 15 members of the Security Council and whose decisions must be made unanimously.

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The Treasury Department said the five North Koreans sanctioned Wednesday were "responsible for procuring goods for the DPRK's (North Korea's) weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile-related programs."

The Treasury said that one of the North Koreans being sanctioned, Choe Myong Hyon, was based in Russia and had provided support to North Korea's Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), which is already subject to sanctions.

Also targeted were four China-based North Korean representatives of SANS-subordinate organizations, the Treasury Department said: Sim Kwang Sok, Kim Song Hun, Kang Chol Hak and Pyon Kwang Chol.

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In a related action, Treasury said the Department of State had designated another North Korean, O Yong Ho, a Russian national, Roman Anatolyevich Alar, and a Russian company, Parsek LLC, for having "materially contributed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery by (North Korea)."

North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, personally oversaw its successful test of a hypersonic missile the day before, the second such launch by the nuclear-armed nation in less than a week, which diplomats have called a provocation.

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The last time the UN Security Council showed unanimity was in 2017, when the United States, under former president Donald Trump, pushed through three series of economic sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests.

The measures, which are still in effect, limit Pyongyang's ability to import oil, as well as banning it from exporting coal, iron, seafood and textiles.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.