PYONGYANG — On Sunday, North Korea issued a strong condemnation of the United States and several other countries for attempting to establish an alternative to the United Nations panel that monitors sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang. The statement comes after the panel’s mandate ended last month due to a veto by Russia, sparking international debates on how to monitor sanctions moving forward.
According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korean Ambassador to the U.N., Kim Song, criticized Seoul, Washington, Tokyo, and 47 other nations for their joint call for an “objective” and “independent” analysis regarding the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, during a recent visit to Seoul, discussed working with South Korea to explore innovative solutions outside the U.N. system for monitoring Pyongyang’s compliance with international sanctions. Ambassador Kim labeled the now-defunct monitoring panel a historically judged “illegal, plot-breeding organization” and denounced it as a tool used by the U.S. and Western countries to undermine North Korea’s sovereignty. He warned that any future expert panels formed would also be destined for failure and predicted a “miserable strategic defeat” for the U.S. and its allies if they continue their hostile policies towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).