Australia, Japan Slap More Sanctions on North Korea

Australia and Japan today emplaced sanctions against 11 North Korean companies and one Swiss firm in response to proliferation concerns over Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear activities, the Associated Press reported (see related GSN story, today).

The synchronized effort targeted North Korean companies in the high-technology, manufacturing and mining sectors as well as a bank and a hospital.  Also sanctioned were Swiss industrial supplier Kohas AG and its president Jakob Steiger.  The United States froze the assets of both Swiss entities in March, charging them with aiding North Korean efforts to proliferate weapons of mass destruction (see GSN, March 31).

Follow North Korea’s test launch of seven ballistic missiles in July, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution urging other nations to clamp down on trade that could help Pyongyang acquire missile technology (see GSN, July 17).

“I do not know how North Korea will respond, but I hope North Korea will accept the U.N. Security Council resolution in a sincere manner and respond to various concerns of the international community,” said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe.

The Australian action “supports and complements similar action taken by Japan today and previous actions taken by the United States, and sends a strong message to North Korea,” said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in a statement (Kana Inagaki, Associated Press/Washington Post, Sept. 19).

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