North Korea has condemned the recent formation of a multilateral sanctions monitoring team, calling it “unlawful and illegitimate,” and warned that countries participating in the initiative would pay a “dear price.” This was announced by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui on October 20 in a statement carried by the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Choe’s statement comes in response to the creation of an 11-member team led by the United States, aimed at monitoring sanctions on North Korea. The new group, formed earlier this month, was established as an alternative to a United Nations panel that ceased operations in March following a Russian veto. The UN panel had been responsible for overseeing sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
For North Korea, the establishment of the new team represents a direct threat to its sovereignty. Choe warned that any country involved in the monitoring group would face severe consequences, further escalating tensions in the already fragile diplomatic environment. “Its existence itself constitutes a denial of the UN Charter,” Choe said, rejecting the new mechanism as a front for US hegemonic ambitions.
The UN sanctions monitoring panel had long been central to international efforts to ensure compliance with sanctions against North Korea, which have been in place for over a decade due to its nuclear and weapons activities. However, in March, Russia used its veto power to block the renewal of the panel’s mandate, effectively paralyzing the international community’s ability to enforce sanctions on Pyongyang.
In response to the Russian veto, South Korea, along with key allies like the United States and Japan, sought alternative methods to ensure that the sanctions regime remained intact. This led to the formation of the new 11-member team, which aims to continue the work of the UN panel despite Russia’s opposition.
From Pyongyang’s perspective, the creation of this new group is an unlawful effort by the United States and its allies to circumvent international law and continue applying pressure on North Korea. Choe argued that the monitoring mechanism violates the core principles of international law, including respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs.
For years, North Korea has condemned the international sanctions regime, portraying it as an unjust form of collective punishment designed to weaken the regime. Choe’s recent statement echoed this sentiment, accusing the US of “habitual misconduct” by unilaterally flouting international norms in pursuit of its strategic interests.
Choe described the sanctions as part of a broader campaign of hostility led by the United States, which she said is focused on maintaining its global dominance through coercive measures. She further criticized the new monitoring team as a continuation of this campaign, stating that it serves as a “threatening entity shaking the foundations of international relations” and worsening global security.
According to Choe, sanctions have done little to hinder North Korea’s progress, and instead have only strengthened the country’s resolve to advance its nuclear weapons program. This narrative has been echoed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has vowed to continue developing nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities in defiance of international pressure.
Choe’s condemnation of the sanctions monitoring team coincides with increasing concerns about North Korea’s potential involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Just days before her statement, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported that Pyongyang had sent a “large-scale” deployment of troops to support Moscow’s war effort. According to the report, approximately 1,500 North Korean special forces personnel had been sent to Russia, and North Korea was allegedly supplying weapons to aid Russia in its fight against Ukraine.
Although Choe did not address these specific allegations in her October 20 statement, North Korea has consistently denied accusations of arms sales to Russia in violation of international sanctions. However, the growing alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow is evident, as both countries face international isolation and have found common ground in resisting US-led efforts to control their actions.
In her statement, Choe warned that continued pressure on North Korea would trigger an inevitable counter-reaction. “Wrong practice is bound to entail an inevitable reaction and corresponding punishment,” she said, suggesting that Pyongyang is prepared to take retaliatory measures against the countries involved in the new sanctions monitoring team.
Choe also predicted that the US’s reliance on sanctions and coercion would ultimately backfire, leading to the emergence of a broader global coalition against US hegemony. “If the US seeks to control the world by high-handed and arbitrary practices, more countries will become interested in putting an end to American-style hegemony,” she said, forecasting a growing anti-US solidarity.
Choe’s criticism extended beyond the United States, as she also took aim at its key allies involved in the sanctions regime, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Britain, and other Western nations. She accused South Korea of violating North Korea’s sovereignty and warned that all countries involved in the new sanctions monitoring team would be remembered for their actions against Pyongyang. “The forces involved in the smear campaign against the DPRK will have to pay a dear price for it,” she said.
This rhetoric signals North Korea’s determination to resist international efforts to monitor its activities and apply pressure. With tensions already high on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang’s growing cooperation with Russia and its defiance of sanctions monitoring efforts are likely to further escalate conflicts with the international community.
The establishment of the US-led sanctions monitoring team has further strained relations between North Korea and the West. For Pyongyang, the new group is an unlawful attempt to maintain pressure on the regime, while the US and its allies argue that the team is necessary to uphold the sanctions regime. With North Korea vowing to retaliate and facing allegations of involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine, tensions are set to rise in the region. The international community now faces the challenge of maintaining pressure on Pyongyang without provoking further escalation.
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