On October 16, the United States, South Korea, and Japan announced the establishment of a new multinational team aimed at monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea. This move comes after Russia and China obstructed United Nations monitoring activities.
The mechanism, known as the “Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team,” was introduced in response to Russia blocking the extension of the term of the UN expert group on North Korean sanctions back in March of this year. The group has been responsible for overseeing sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs for the past 15 years. China abstained from voting.
An official from South Korea stated that the monitoring team will continue the work of the UN group, including issuing regular reports on sanction implementation. Participating countries will include France, the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
During a press conference in Seoul, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, South Korean Foreign Ministry’s First Vice Minister Kim Hong-kyun, and Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Masataka Okano announced the launch of this team. Ambassadors from the other eight countries also attended the conference. Following the press conference, these foreign ministers and ambassadors held a meeting in Seoul.
Kim Hong-kyun stated at the press conference, “We have had many discussions on how to establish an effective monitoring system to replace the UN group. Despite these efforts, incidents of North Korea violating sanctions have continued to occur, so we believe there should be no further delay in filling this gap.”
He further mentioned that while the allied countries will continue to seek the restoration of the UN monitoring project, this team is open to all countries willing to help ensure the implementation of sanctions.
Campbell noted that Russia’s veto of extending the UN expert group’s term might be due to reports by the UN stating that Russia illegally procured military equipment and ammunition from North Korea to support its war in Ukraine.
Campbell said, “In tracking and holding North Korea accountable for a series of provocations, this team can play a significant role. This is an important step in the right direction.”
The United States and South Korea have alleged that North Korea and Russia engaged in illegal military transactions. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied weapon transfers, but both countries have pledged to strengthen military ties. Russian President Putin visited North Korea in June this year, and the two sides reached a mutual defense assistance treaty.
Analysts believe that the newly formed multinational monitoring team may lack the international legitimacy derived from UN-supported actions but could more effectively monitor North Korea without being influenced by China and Russia’s attempts to downplay North Korea’s suspected evasion of sanctions within UN institutions.
(This article is adapted from a report by Reuters)