U.S., China Agreed on Draft of UNSC Resolution against North Korea

Washington and Beijing agreed on the draft of a new United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution against North Korea on February 24. U.S. National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Ned Price stated on that day that U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to come up with strict sanctions on Pyongyang and confirmed that they would not acknowledge the North as a state with nuclear weapons.

According to diplomatic sources, the draft includes much stricter sanctions than before, which are roughly classified into the imposition of new restrictions such as the suspension of supply of jet fuel, conversion of advice in the previous resolutions to mandatory requirements and expansion of the list of the targets of sanctions including the North Korean regime and individuals. Under the circumstances, the DPRK's Reconnaissance General Bureau, Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry and about 30 other North Korean organizations and individuals are expected to be added to the list. Then, the number of the targets almost doubles from 32.

 Also expected are a ban on the trading of mineral resources including coal, which accounts for more than 42% of the cross-border trade between the North and China, and a ban on port entry by North Korean vessels suspected of carrying embargoed items and the equivalent applied to suspicious North Korean aircraft. Furthermore, the previous ban on overseas financial asset transfer is expected to be expanded to cover all types of overseas financial assets from suspicious sources as well as those likely to contribute to nuclear missile development.

After the final agreement on the draft, the UNSC started the official procedure for the implementation of the sanctions. The other three permanent and 10 non-permanent members can check the draft before a meeting scheduled for 3:00 pm, February 25. The resolution is expected to be adopted two to four days later.