The U.S. Will Prepare a Resolution on North Korea for Voting

After an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Monday to discuss North Korea's nuclear test, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations announced that the country would put a resolution regarding North Korea to consultation for a vote next Monday. As reports indicate that North Korea is preparing for another intercontinental missile test, Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative at the UN, emphasized on Monday that the Security Council must act swiftly in this regard. Ms. Haley added that only stronger sanctions would enable us to resolve the crisis diplomatically. She also stated that her country does not seek war, but its patience will not be unlimited. In the past two months, North Korea has tested two intercontinental missiles, three medium-range missiles, and a hydrogen bomb, the latter being the sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb tested by the country, claimed to be designed for long-range missiles. North Korea's recent nuclear test has faced severe international condemnation, and in this context, U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized that appeasement with North Korea is fruitless. The President of Russia also condemned North Korea's actions during discussions with leaders from China and Japan but urged all parties to show restraint. On Monday, however, the Kremlin announced that President Putin, in a phone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, assessed North Korea's recent nuclear test as a threat to regional peace and security. The Russian President also stated that the only solution to the North Korean crisis is diplomacy and dialogue. Although Russia and China are North Korea's main trading partners, both supported the previous Security Council resolution that tightened sanctions against Pyongyang. If this resolution, which was unanimously adopted in mid-August, is implemented, North Korea will lose two-thirds of its annual income of three million dollars. On Monday, Japan called for new Security Council sanctions against North Korea, and the leaders of Germany and South Korea also emphasized the need to intensify sanctions against Pyongyang. However, as calls for new sanctions against North Korea are ongoing, the German news agency reported on the history of UN sanctions concerning North Korea. Since 2006, North Korea has been the subject of seven UN sanction packages related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In October 2006, following North Korea's first nuclear test, the Security Council banned the import of luxury goods and technologies related to ballistic missiles and voted to freeze the assets of individuals linked to the country's nuclear and missile programs. Eighteen months later, in May 2009, after North Korea's second nuclear test, the Security Council once again targeted the country with new restrictions and sanctioned financial transactions of individuals or entities linked to Pyongyang's nuclear program. In January 2013, the launch of a series of nuclear rockets led the UN to intensify sanctions against North Korea, including travel restrictions and adding several other entities from the country to the sanctions list. Three years later, in January 2016, North Korea's fourth nuclear test resulted in new sanctions, including arms sanctions and other items that could be used by the North Korean military. In September of that year, North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb, and in response, the Security Council banned the export of metals such as nickel, copper, silver, and zinc. Two more sanction packages against North Korea were passed by the Security Council this year; in June, the renewed rocket launch led to additional North Korean government and financial entities being included in the UN sanctions, and finally, the sanctions package from mid-August this year further tightened the sanctions.