[JURIST] The United Nations Security Council [official website] decided on Friday to expand [press release] existing sanctions placed on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and applied those sanctions to 14 individuals and four organizations. The expansion of resolution 1718 (2006) [text] will impose an asset freeze and travel ban on those that new resolution 2356 (2017) [text] names as being involved in North Korea’s alleged nuclear program. North Korea’s biggest ally and permanent member of the Security Council, China voted for the resolution [Reuters report] after negotiations and consistent pressure from the United States, the sponsor of the bill. The Council’s unanimous decision was positive to the United States, but U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley [official profile] told the council that the U.S. will continue to work towards peace and security, but “[b]eyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary.”

North Korea’s actions towards nuclear capability worry many around the world and is leading toward actions against North Korea [JURIST op-ed]. In May North Korea launched [JURIST report] a short range missile, creating strain in the reunification efforts with South Korea. The same day Moon Jae-in was sworn in as the nineteenth president of South Korea he sought international assistance [JURIST report] with North Korean weapons threats. Back in February Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump appeared in a joint press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, strongly condemning [JURIST report] a North Korean ballistic missile test.