North Korea Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui condemned the recent formation of a US-led multilateral sanctions monitoring team on Sunday, calling it “utterly unlawful and illegitimate.” In a statement released by North Korea’s state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun, Choe warned that the countries involved in the initiative would face consequences for their actions.
In particular, Choe argued that the team as well as the UN sanctions imposed on North Korea violate the non-intervention principle, according to Article 2.7 of the UN Charter. The article stipulates that the UN shall not intervene in matters “essentially within the domestic jurisdiction” of any country. Choe accused the US of arbitrarily reshaping the global order to suit its hegemonic interests by forming this team and enforcing the sanction without UN oversight.
The new team, announced earlier this month, was formed to monitor the enforcement of international sanctions imposed on North Korea, specifically aimed at curbing its nuclear and missile programs. The move comes after Russia vetoed the renewal of a United Nations panel of experts that oversaw these sanctions for over 15 years. The US, South Korea, Japan, and several Western allies, including Australia, Canada, and the EU, launched the new team following the UN panel’s dissolution. Despite North Korea’s protests, the newly formed sanctions team is expected to continue monitoring violations and enforcing sanctions in the absence.
In 2006, the UN Security Council adopted resolution no. 1718, condemning North Korea for withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and breaching international peace and security. Following the resolution, sanctions have been in place for nearly two decades, including asset freezes, embargoes on arms, technologies and luxury goods, and travel sanctions.
The formation of the monitoring team follows escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea intensifying its nuclear and missile activities. South Korea and the US have raised concerns over Pyongyang’s growing military ties with Russia. Reports from Seoul’s intelligence agency suggest that North Korea has sent special forces to Russia for training and could deploy them in the Ukraine conflict. While North Korea and Russia deny these claims, the allegations have fueled fears of deeper military cooperation between the two nations.
