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The UN Security Council on Friday agreed to add more individuals and entities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to its sanction list in response to the country's repeated ballistic launches.
The adopted resolution is the first motion agreed on by Washington and Beijing after President Donald Trump took office, and came after five weeks of negotiations, Reuters news agency has reported.
The 15-nation council unanimously decided to impose global travel bans and asset freezes on a suspected spy chief, a handful of other officials as well as impose sanctions on financial and defense entities.
Intermediate-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 launches, May 22, 2017. /KCNA Photo
The Security Council also condemned "in the strongest terms" the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities conducted by the DPRK since September 2016, while urging the DPRK to abandon its nuclear programs and cease all related activities immediately.
The most powerful UN body "reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in north-east Asia at large, expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation," said the resolution.
British Deputy Ambassador to the UN Peter Wilson (L) and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (R) vote on the resolution at the UN headquarters in New York, US, June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo
**Who is on the blacklist? **
Cho Il U, who is believed to be the head of foreign espionage for Kim Jong Un's regime, is one of those who were added to the UN blacklist.
The other 13 include senior officials from DPRK's ruling Workers' Party and heads of trading firms tasked with securing purchases for Pyongyang's military programs.
The Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army, two trading firms and the Koryo Bank, linked to a party office that manages Kim's finances, were also hit by an assets freeze.
The 18 names will be added to the current blacklist of 39 individuals and 42 DPRK’s entities already under UN sanctions.
'Critical window'
Liu Jieyi, China's ambassador to the UN, said the adoption of the resolution has sent out a unified message that the international community is against the DPRK's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs.
China's Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi speaks to the media at UN headquarters in New York on February 13, 2017. /VCG Photo
He noted that there is "a critical window of opportunity" for the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations.
"China calls on all parties to implement fully and comprehensively relevant Security Council resolutions on the DPRK and push for a peaceful settlement to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through strengthening the efforts on non-proliferation and promotion of peace talks," said Liu.
"We hope that all parties concerned will work with China to keep pushing for dialogue and negotiations in order to seek a solution to the problems concerned on the Korean Peninsula within the framework of the Six-Party talks and continue to work actively and constructively towards the goal of early de-nuclearization and lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," he added.
US 'prepared' for means beyond sanctions
"The Security Council is sending a clear message to (the) DPRK today: Stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences," US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speaks following a vote on the resolution at the UN headquarters in New York, June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo
"Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract DPRK’s aggression through other means, if necessary," she added.
The United States has said it is willing to talk to the DPRK if it halts its missile and nuclear tests. However, over the past weeks, the DPRK has test-fired several ballistic missiles including a medium-range rocket launched on Monday which fell into the Sea of Japan.
French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the resolution served as "a warning" to the DPRK of tougher sanctions to come unless it changes course and halts its tests. "If it continues on this dangerous path, we will have no other choice but to reinforce the pressure, again and again," Delattre said.
Russia decided to support the measure despite Kremlin's anger over Washington's move to impose US sanctions on two Russian firms that do business with the DPRK.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vladimir Safronkov votes in favor of the resolution to expand its DPRK’s blacklist after its repeated missile tests, at the UN headquarters, June 2, 2017. /VCG Photo
**Previous UN resolutions **
According to previous Security Council resolutions, the DPRK is banned from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation, and Kim Jong Un was denied the hard currency needed to fund his military programs.
To curb the DPRK's related activities, the council has ratcheted up its sanction measures on the country since 2006, which includes banning the sale and transfer of coal, iron and iron ore from the country's territory.
(CGTN)
