UN introduces new sanctions against North Korea
- 9.8.2017 08:42
Following North Korea’s two missile tests in July, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously agreed on new sanctions on Pyongyang on 5 August. This could cut Pyongyang’s US $3bn annual export revenue by a third. The resolution bans crucial North Korean exports, like coal and iron, and curbs investments – a price DPRK ally and trade partner China is reportedly willing to pay. As Japan and South Korea cheer, the DPRK accused the U.S. on 7 August of incentivizing nuclear war by infringing its sovereignty through the continued use of sanctions.
Pyongyang claims Washington and Seoul are escalating tensions by conducting military exercises – a matter which Beijing and Moscow criticise following the deployment of an anti-missile defence system to South Korea. China has previously faced pressure for not taking a clearer stance in the UNSC. On 8 August, Japan’s Defence Ministry presented its annual White Paper, in which it labels the DPRK’s missile advancement a “new level of threat” and highlights concerns over China’s military presence, mainly at the contested Senkaku-Diaoyu islets.
