US Seeks an Asset Freeze for Kim Jong Un
The United States has suggested a new range of United Nations sanctions on North Korea including the oil ban, overseas employment ban for North Koreans and North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un asset freeze, according to BBC. The proposed sanctions were included in the draft resolution that circulated the Security Council members following the sixth nuclear test and recurrent missile launches of North Korea. North Korea continues to threaten to strike the US and claims to have developed a hydrogen bomb.
The UN has already imposed highly restrictive sanctions to North Korea for force its leaders to limit its weapon programmes. Just in August, UN imposed fresh sanctions to North Korea including coal export ban that makes up a third of the country's export industry. The new US draft proposal suggests for a total ban on supplying various oil products to North Korea as well as a ban on their textile industry export.
It also wants to ban North Korean labourers from working overseas mostly in Russia's Far East and China. Foreign remittances and textile exports are the most important remaining sources of income for North Korea. The draft further calls for a Kim Jong Un asset freeze and a travel ban on North Korea's senior leaders. US ambassador to the United Nations, Niki Haley told Aljazeera that these are the "strongest possible measures" for North Korea.
China and Russia want to have alternative solutions for the issue. Both countries supply oil to North Korea and wield vetoes at the Security Council. On Thursday, Wang Yi, China's foreign minister stated that the Security Council should be "taking necessary measures" and that "sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation." President Vladimir Putin of Russia claimed that a number of Russian oil exports of about 40,000 tonnes to North Korea are negligible and not worth it to drive North Korea into a corner.
Both Russia and China proposed that the US and South Korea stop their military drills that trigger the anger of North Korea. They also suggested ending the deployment of anti-missile THAAD system in South Korea. The US and South Korea rejected the proposal.
