UN Security Council Intensifies Sanctions on North Korea for the Fourth Time in Six Months

The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions against North Korea in response to its latest missile test. This marks the fourth action by the Security Council to tighten sanctions on the country. On November 28, North Korea tested an intercontinental missile that, according to Pyongyang, can target the entire territory of the United States and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. This action prompted reactions from several world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who told reporters, "I can only tell you that we will resolve this issue. This is a situation that will be addressed." According to an Associated Press report on Friday, December 22, the new sanctions approved by the Security Council significantly target North Korea's oil product imports and give North Korean workers abroad a 24-month opportunity to return to their country. These sanctions also target shipments to and from North Korea. However, the Associated Press noted that these sanctions are not as stringent as the Trump administration had hoped, as they do not include an oil export ban or freezing the assets of the North Korean government and its leader Kim Jong Un. Since 2006, North Korea has been the subject of 10 UN sanction packages related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. According to a report by the German news agency in October 2006, the Security Council banned the import of luxury goods and technologies related to ballistic missiles following North Korea's first nuclear test 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 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 to the sanctions list. Three years later, in January 2016, North Korea's fourth nuclear test resulted in new sanctions, including arms embargoes and other items that could be used by the North Korean military. In September of that year, North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb, leading the Security Council to ban the export of metals such as nickel, copper, silver, and zinc. Four more sanction packages against North Korea have been approved by the Security Council this year; in June, the renewed rocket launch added several other North Korean government and financial entities to the UN sanctions list, and ultimately the sanctions package in mid-August tightened the sanctions further. Later in September of this year, the test of a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on intercontinental missiles led to additional sanctions against the Pyongyang government, including export restrictions, freezing certain assets, and travel bans on the country's officials. At that time, North Korea described these sanctions as "a criminal and ruthless act against the right of existence of its peaceful citizens." The new UN Security Council sanctions, which are the tenth sanction package against North Korea, represent the fourth action by the Security Council to tighten sanctions on Pyongyang in the past six months.