US pushes for new UN sanctions to slash N. Korean revenue
August 5, 2017
A new UN Security Council resolution drafted by the US aims to ban North Korean trade in coal, iron, lead and seafood. There was reportedly "high confidence" among that the resolution would be backed by Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pictured during military drills earlier this yearImage: Reuters/KCNA
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The UN Security Council is due to vote on Saturday over whether to toughen sanctions against North Korea, depriving the reclusive state of around $1 billion (850 million euro) in export revenue.
The draft resolution, which was circulated to the 15-member Security Council on Friday, would also halt countries from increasing the number of North Korean laborers working abroad, ban any new joint business ventures with the North Korean regime and ban fresh investment into such existing ventures.
Finally, the North's Foreign Trade Bank, the country's main clearing house, would be added to the UN's sanctions blacklist.
Egypt, which currently holds the Security Council's rotating presidency, confirmed that a vote on the draft resolution was scheduled for 3 pm local time in New York City (1900 UTC).
According to a council diplomat speaking to major news agencies on condition of anonymity, the US has been negotiating the proposed measures with China, Pyongyang's principal ally and trading partner, since the North launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICMB) test on July 4.
However, those talks have gained in urgency over the past week, after a second ICBM test raised fears that Pyongyang could soon possess missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.
"These are export sectors where this money is viewed as a critical, critical source of hard currency that the North immediately turns around into its fantastically expensive war machine and these just amazingly expensive ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs," the diplomatic source said.
The resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the council's permanent members - the US, China, Russia, France and Britain - to be adopted.
Crucially, the draft text stopped short of curbing oil imports into North Korea, which would likely have dealt a massive blow to the country's already cash-starved economy. Such a move would have faced a probable veto from China and Russia, who have vowed to not to support any measures that risk worsening North Korea's humanitarian crisis.
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Chinese and Russian backing essential
The diplomatic source said there was "high confidence" that China and Russia would be on board with the latest series of sanctions, which would make it the seventh sanctions resolution passed since North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006.
However, Russia has rejected assessments that Pyongyang's latest tests saw the launch of long-range ICBMs, arguing that the missiles were medium-range. That, coupled with worsening relations between Moscow and Washington, could see negotiations over North Korean sanctions hampered.
When it comes to new sanctions being imposed on North Korea, both sides generally come to an agreement first before involving other Security Council members.
Nevertheless, differing views remain on how to handle North Korea's military threat. The US, along with its European allies, as well as Japan and South Korea, maintain that increased sanctions are needed to force Pyongyang to halt its weapons program.
China and Russia, meanwhile, insist that talks are necessary, and sanctions alone will do nothing to alter North Korea's behavior.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
