Japan and South Korea have announced separate sanctions on companies and individuals for supplying North Korean weapons to Russia
Japan and South Korea have announced separate sets of sanctions on companies, vessels, and individuals allegedly involved in the supply of North Korean weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, in violation of United Nations (U.N.) resolutions.
The announcement comes a few days ahead of the trilateral summit between South Korea, Japan and China in nearly 5 years. The West, along with Japan and South Korea, has accused North Korea of sending thousands of containers of munitions to Russia.
Japan also helped in freezing the assets of 11 groups and 1 individual involved in supplying North Korean weapons to Russia. While 9 of the groups and the individual were in Russia, the other 2 organisations, based in Cyprus, allegedly helped transport weapons from North Korea.
Speaking on the occasion, the Japanese Government Spokesperson – Yoshimasa Hayashi said, “We have cooperated with allies like the United States to freeze the assets of 11 groups and one individual involved in the Russia-North Korea military assistance meant to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.”
He further said, “It violates the UN security resolutions that categorically ban the transfer with North Korea of weapons and related materials.”
South Korea also imposed its own sanctions on 2 Russian vessels for carrying a large quantity of containers between Russia and North Korea transporting military supplies. It also sanctioned 7 North Koreans for various activities, including allegedly trading military supplies between Moscow and Pyongyang. South Korea said that one of the newly sanctioned North Koreans was allegedly involved in discussions to facilitate arms deals with a member of Russia’s Wagner Group from 2022 to 2023. Another was engaged in bringing diesel, a critical material for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development programmes, from Russia into North Korea.
Besides, 5 more North Koreans were involved in helping raise funds to support Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes by earning foreign currency as IT workers while residing “illegally in Vladivostok. However, North Korea last week denied the allegations that it is shipping weapons to Russia, saying it has “no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country”.
Separately, last month, North Korea thanked Russia for using its veto power at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to block the renewal of a panel of experts that monitored international sanctions on the Supreme Leader of North Korea – Kim Jong Un. The panel, which has been active for over a decade, was investigating reports alleging that Russia has breached the regulations by procuring weapons from North Korea, including ballistic missiles, for attacking Ukraine. This move has heightened the tensions within the U.N. Security Council, which has consistently imposed sanctions on North Korea since 2006 in response to its nuclear ambitions.
