North Korea has not stopped nuclear and missile programs; continues to evade UN sanctions

NewsBharati    06-Aug-2018
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Pyongyang, August 6: When North Korea declared its stance on denuclearization; the world applauded the country for its decision. But it seems like North Korea is in no mood to stop its nuclear and missile programs and continues to evade the UN sanctions through increased illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil products at sea.

In a report concluded by United Nations expert stated that North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and has also listed a series of violations of a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, seafood and other products that generate millions of dollars in revenue for Kim Jong Un's regime.

The report mentioned that Pyongyang "has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018." It further added that the transfer of petroleum products to North Korean tankers at sea remains "a primary method of sanctions evasion" involving 40 vessels and 130 associated companies.

The violations have solidified the latest batch of sanctions "ineffective" by flouting the cap on oil, fuel, and coal imposed in a raft of UN resolutions adopted last year.

At a historic June summit with US President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague commitment of "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in the hope of getting UN and US sanctions relief. Trump, however, has repeatedly warned Pyongyang that the sanctions must remain in place and could even be tightened as long as there is no progress on ending its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.