UN Security Council adopts sanctions against DPRK coal export

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UN Security Council adopts sanctions against DPRK coal export

The U.N. Security Council has adopted a resolution that tightens sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The council has set a cap on the amount of coal that the DPRK can export. The goal is to place pressure on Pyongyang’s ability to fund its nuclear program.

CCTV’s Liling Tan has the details.

Fifteen votes, all in favor of the toughest sanctions ever imposed on the DPRK.

The resolution caps the DPRK’s annual coal exports at $400.9 million, or 7.5 million metric tons per year, in a move to cut a key source of revenue for the DPRK revenue believed to be a making its way into the country’s nuclear program.

The U.S. said the binding cap would slash what the DPRK earns by about $700 million a year, or more than 60 percent of its coal export revenue.

Coal exports are now only allowed for the livelihood of people in the DPRK. But the sanctions go beyond coal exports by also restricting the sale of metals including copper, nickel, silver and zinc.

China’s ambassador to the U.N., Liu Jieyi, said the resolution shows the unity among the international community against the DPRK’s nuclear missile program, but reiterated Beijing’s objections to the U.S. deployment of its THAAD missile system in the Republic of Korea.

“Since the beginning of this year, DPRK has conducted two nuclear tests and multiple ballistic missile tests. On the other hand certain parties have kept strengthening military deployment, increasing military presence, and scaling up military exercises. As a result the confrontation on the Peninsula has intensified, plunging into a vicious circle. This situation must be changed,” Liu said.

He called for the Thaad deployment to stop, urged parties to return to dialogue and resume the six-party talks, and move toward replacing the Korean armistice agreement with a peace treaty.


Stephan Haggard on UN sanctions against DPRK

How will the new U.N. sanctions on the DPRK’s oil impact the country? To learn more, CCTV America’s Elaine Reyes spoke with Stephan Haggard, professor of Korea-Pacific Studies and director of the Korea-Pacific Program at UC San Diego.