photo source, EPA
South Korea, the U.S., and Japan successively announced their own sanctions against North Korea’s continued ballistic missile launches. The South Korean government evaluated the announcement as “showing the strong and united will of the three countries to sternly respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.”
After North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) believed to be the ‘Hwasong-17’ on the 18th, it seems that the international community’s pressure on North Korea is intensifying. In particular, the three countries of Korea, the U.S., and Japan pulled out their own sanctions card when the UN Security Council was unable to properly perform its function of sanctions against North Korea due to China and Russia’s exercise of the ‘right of veto’.
Previously, on the 29th of last month, on the 5th anniversary of the declaration of the completion of nuclear force, North Korea pointed to the ICBM as “a creation of self-reliance both in name and reality” and showed off “how proud it is”.
On November 29, 2017, North Korea declared the completion of its state nuclear force after the launch of the ICBM-class ‘Hwasong-15’.
US-France ‘strong condemnation of North Korea’s provocations’
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile provocation.
In a joint statement released after their summit at the White House on the 1st (local time), the two leaders said, “North Korea’s unprecedented number of illegal ballistic missile test-fires this year violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and promote peace in the region.” and pose a threat to stability,” he said.
It also emphasized that the two countries “agreed to continue working together to address these violations by North Korea in the UN Security Council.”
We also agreed to jointly respond to China’s challenges and threats.
“The two leaders agreed to continue to coordinate concerns regarding China’s challenge to the international order, including human rights issues,” the statement said.
On the 22nd of last month (local time), China exercised its veto power over discussions on additional UN Security Council sanctions held in New York.
South Korea, the U.S., and Japan decide on independent sanctions
On the 2nd (Korean time), the United States, South Korea, and Japan started to decide on their own policy of sanctions against North Korea in succession.
First, the United States drew its sword. The Biden administration designated three North Korean Labor Party executives who were involved in the development of North Korean weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles as additional targets for sanctions early this morning in Korean time.
Subsequently, South Korea additionally designated 8 individuals and 7 institutions involved in North Korea’s nuclear and missile development and evasion of sanctions against North Korea as subject of independent sanctions. placed on the sanctions list.
Regarding this, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 2nd, “It shows the strong and united will of the three countries to sternly respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.”
In addition, he emphasized, “It is also meaningful in that countries with similar stances, including South Korea, the United States and Japan, increase the effectiveness of sanctions by designating targets for independent sanctions in an overlapping and overlapping manner.”
In fact, the three North Korean Labor Party executives that the U.S. Treasury Department announced on the same day were the ones that the European Union (EU) independently put on the sanctions list last April.
Among them, Jeon Il-ho, chairman of the Party Committee of the Academy of Defense Sciences, and Yu Jin, former head of the munitions industry department of the party, were already included as targets of independent sanctions against North Korea by South Korea in 2016.
All 8 individuals and 7 institutions that South Korea has listed as subject to sanctions are already subject to independent sanctions by the United States.
It is an attempt to suppress North Korea’s attempts to circumvent UN Security Council sanctions through net-like sanctions as much as possible.
Regarding this, Kim Jae-cheon, a professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University, told the BBC, “It is a warm-up level in preparation for North Korea’s 7th nuclear test.”
In particular, he emphasized, “It is also true that there is a hole in the sanctions in a situation where the measures to respond to North Korea’s provocation are very limited.”
Professor Kim said, “If a ‘secondary boycott’ (third-party sanctions) is added to the relevant provisions, it can be a fairly strong warning.” It will be a burden,” he said.
photo source, Archyde.com
US President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met on the occasion of the G20 Summit held in Bali, Indonesia on November 14, 2022.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is in line with China’s interests”
In the midst of this, the US once again urged China to play a constructive role in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.
US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said at a foreign press conference held in Seoul on the 1st, “The United States, China and Russia have already joined the UN Security Council resolution opposing North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.”
In particular, he stressed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is also in the interest of China, and that China should step up so that North Korea can participate in denuclearization negotiations.
Regarding the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons raised in South Korea, he also stressed that extended deterrence is included as part of efforts by the three countries to jointly respond to North Korea’s provocations and threats.
He added that the fact that more than 28,000 USFK and their families are in South Korea is itself a clear example of the US’ commitment to extended deterrence.
Earlier, at the first face-to-face summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 14th of last month, US President Joe Biden emphasized the role of China and mentioned that China has an obligation to dissuade North Korea from nuclear missile tests.
However, it is not expected that it will be easy to move China amid strategic competition between the US and China.
This is because China is still repeating its claim that the United States is to blame for North Korea’s ICBM launch.
Previously, at a Security Council meeting on the 21st (local time), Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun argued that in order for North Korea to come to the table for denuclearization negotiations, a favorable environment must be created, and that existing sanctions against North Korea should be eased.