Regarding the launch of North Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite
The first simultaneous sanctions against Korea, the US, Japan and Australia
South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia have jointly launched sanctions against North Korea in connection with the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. This is the first time that sanctions against North Korea were imposed simultaneously by four countries through prior cooperation. When new Security Council sanctions were blocked due to opposition from China and Russia, four countries in the Asia-Pacific region took joint action.
On the 30th of last month (local time), the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced, “We have placed eight North Koreans and one organization on the sanctions list in connection with revenue-generating activities supporting North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program.” The targets are eight people, including Kim Soo-ki, a hacking organization under the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau, Kang Gyeong-il and Ri Seong-il, a representative in Tehran of the North Korean Cheongsong Alliance, who are known to supply weapons to Iran, and Kang Pyeong-guk, a representative in Beijing, China.
The government, which placed Kim Soo-ki on the list of sanctions in June of this year, announced on the 1st that it would sanction five people, including North Korea’s Deputy Director Ri Chol-ju of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, and six others involved in ballistic missile research and development. The Japanese government also independently imposed sanctions on four organizations and five individuals, including Kim Suki, on this day.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken issued a statement on the 30th of last month, saying, “North Korea’s illegal launch on the 21st, which is believed to be a military reconnaissance satellite, undermined global security by using ballistic missile technology that violates several Security Council resolutions,” adding, “In particular, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. He emphasized, “For the first time, each has designated and announced sanctions against North Korea.” Previously, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the 27th of last month, but failed to adopt a chairman’s statement as well as new sanctions against North Korea due to opposition from permanent members China and Russia.
It is reported that South Korea, the United States, and Japan will hold a meeting of national security officials in Seoul on the 8th and 9th, attended by National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, U.S. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Japan’s National Security Director Takeo Akiba.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on the 1st that North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un visited the People’s Army Air Force Headquarters and the 1st Air Force Division Aviation Regiment to celebrate Aviation Day on the 30th of last month. According to photos released by the media, Chairman Kim held a cigarette and looked at equipment at what is believed to be the Air Force Command’s operational command center. The wall display screen showed pictures of the Pacific Ocean, including the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia. Since the angle is different from the photos taken by regular military reconnaissance satellites, there is a high possibility that it is not a photo taken by the recently launched ‘Great Mirror No. 1’.
On this day, the appearance of his daughter Kim Joo-ae accompanying him 96 days after visiting the naval facility on August 27 this year was also revealed through the media. Chairman Kim and his daughter observed the demonstration flight (aerobatics) wearing similar leather coats and sunglasses. On this evening, the three tables surrounding Kim Joo-ae’s table, which attended the celebratory banquet hall, were almost filled with female executives. There is an interpretation that “Chairman Kim is trying to emphasize that ‘women can also become the next military leaders.’”
New York =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.