United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 was adopted unanimously by the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
on 12 June 2009.
[Security Council imposes tougher sanctions on DPR Korea](_blank)
UN News Centre. June 12, 2009. The
resolution
Resolution(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate
* Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body
* New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...
, passed under
Chapter VII, Article 41, of the
UN Charter
The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundational treaty of the UN, an intergovernmental organization. It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the UN system, including its six principal organs: the ...
, imposes further economic and commercial
sanction
A sanction may be either a permission or a restriction, depending upon context, as the word is an auto-antonym.
Examples of sanctions include:
Government and law
* Sanctions (law), penalties imposed by courts
* Economic sanctions, typically a b ...
s on the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...
(the DPRK, or North Korea) and encourages
UN member states
A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation.
Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign states ...
to search North Korean
cargo
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
, in the aftermath of
an underground nuclear test conducted on 25 May 2009.
Provisions
The provisions of the resolution include:
* Authorizing member states to inspect, "in accordance with their national authorities and legislation, and consistent with
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
", North Korean cargo on land, sea, and air, and to destroy any goods suspected of being connected to the DPRK's nuclear programme.
* Requiring the
North Korean government
In the North Korean government, the Cabinet is the administrative and executive body. The North Korean government consists of three branches: administrative, legislative, and judicial. However, they are not independent of each other, but all br ...
to return immediately to the
six-party talks
The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program.
There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing:
* China
* Japan
* North Korea ...
and renounce its announcement of withdrawal from the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation ...
.
* Preventing financial services that could contribute to the nuclear or
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
related programmes.
[Key excerpts from U. N. North Korea resolution](_blank)
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
. June 12, 2009.
* Instructing member states not to provide financial assistance to the DPRK nuclear programme, or enter into loans with the country, except for
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
or developmental reasons.
* Extending the
arms embargo
An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:
* to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor
* to maintain ...
on North Korea by banning all weapons exports from the country and most imports, with an exception to
small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
, light weapons and related material – though member states must notify the Security Council five days prior to selling the weapons.
[North Korea resolution: key points](_blank)
''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''. June 12, 2009.
* Demanding that North Korea halt its
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
s program and conduct no further nuclear or missile tests.
* Asking member states to notify the Council of steps they are taking to implement the sanctions within 45 days.
[UN Security Council adopts resolution expanding sanctions on DPRK](_blank)
. Xinhua
Xinhua News Agency (English pronunciation: )J. C. Wells: Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 3rd ed., for both British and American English, or New China News Agency, is the official state news agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua ...
. June 13, 2009.
* Affirming the Security Council's commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the situation.
Adoption
Adopting the resolution unanimously, the Council condemned the nuclear test which was in "violation and flagrant disregard" of previous Council resolutions
1695 and
1718
Events
January – March
* January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discus ...
.
The resolution is now binding under international law.
[UN toughens North Korea sanctions](_blank)
BBC News Online
BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. It is one of the most popular news websites, with 1.2 billion website visits in April 2021, as well as being used by 60% of the U ...
. June 12, 2009
Security Council permanent members
* : Ambassador
Zhang Yesui
Zhang Yesui (; born October 1953) is a Chinese diplomat who served as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Party Committee Secretary for the People's Republic of China. He was formerly the Chinese Ambassador to the United States. He has pr ...
said China voted in favor of the resolution as actions by North Korea were in "disregard for the international community’s common objective". However, he stressed that the diplomatic means should be employed rather than merely imposing sanctions, and the resolution should not "adversely impact the country’s development, or humanitarian assistance to it".
[Text of resolution](_blank)
UN Press Centre He also urged against the use of force when inspecting North Korean cargo.
[Charbonneau, Louis; Parsons, Claudia (June 12, 2009)]
U.N._council_expands_sanctions_against_North_Korea
.html" ;"title="sanctions against North Korea">U.N. council expands sanctions against North Korea
">sanctions against North Korea">U.N. council expands sanctions against North Korea
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
.
* : Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert remarked that the DPRK had been "engaged in a secret nuclear programme" which increased its threat. He said that the country had increased tensions in the region by firing missiles and the Security Council had responded to that by imposing tough sanctions on the regime, though he mentioned that the Council was concerned about the population.
* :
Permanent Representative
A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation.
Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World Tr ...
Vitaly Churkin
Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin ( rus, Вита́лий Ива́нович Чу́ркин, p=vʲɪˈtalʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕurkʲɪn; 21 February 1952 – 20 February 2017) was a Russian diplomat and former child actor. Churkin served as Russia ...
said the measures adopted were "substantive and targeted in nature", and "clearly tied to ending the DPRK programme to create nuclear missiles". He insisted the sanctions did not target the North Korean people, which was a key issue with his delegation. He also insisted that any sanctions be lifted once North Korea cooperates.
* : Deputy Ambassador Philip Parham said the adoption of the resolution shows that "the international community is united in condemning North Korea's proliferation activities".
[Aziakou, Gerard (June 12, 2009)]
Security Council adopts tougher NKorea sanctions
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
.
* : Envoy
Rosemary DiCarlo
Rosemary Anne DiCarlo (born 1947) is an American diplomat who has served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs since May 2018. She previously served as acting United States Ambassador to the United Na ...
said that the resolution created "markedly stronger sanctions" against
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
to persuade it to abandon its
nuclear weapons program.
This was followed by
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice
Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17, 1964) is an American diplomat, policy advisor, and public official serving as Director of the United States Domestic Policy Council since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Rice served as the 27th ...
who claimed the resolution was "unprecedented" and has "teeth that will bite". The resolution was a "strong and united international response" to the testing of the nuclear device.
Security Council elected members
* : Ambassador
Thomas Mayr-Harting
Thomas Mayr-Harting (born 22 May 1954 in Epsom, Surrey) is an Austrian diplomat. He is the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process. From November 2015 to August 2019 he was managing direc ...
said the resolution was a "clear, appropriate and unequivocal" response to North Korea's actions. He called for the country to rejoin the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nations ...
(CTBT).
*: Deputy Representative Paul Robert Tiendrébéogo supported the resolution emphasising his country's aspiration for a nuclear-free world and the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy. He called on North Korea to cooperate with the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
,
six-party talks
The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program.
There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing:
* China
* Japan
* North Korea ...
and other institutions stressing that the country should "choose dialogue".
* : Ambassador Ranko Vilović mentioned that the sanctions were not targeted towards the North Korean population, but called on North Korea to accede to the CTBT and six-party talks.
* : Permanent Representative
Jorge Urbina echoed the views of the rest of the Council, and urged the country to return to international systems of dialogue.
* : Permanent Representative
Yukio Takasu welcomed the resolution, describing the DPRK's actions as an "irresponsible act" which constituted a threat to his country. He hoped the resolution adopted would change the actions of North Korea.
The
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Taro Aso
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
also urged North Korea to take the resolution "seriously".
* : Permanent Representative
Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham
Abdel Rahman Shalgam (Arabic: عبد الرحمن شلقم; born 22 January 1949) is a Libyan politician. He was Foreign Minister of Libya from 2000 to 2009.
Early life
Shalgam was born in the village of Ahlgrevh in southern Libya to a respectab ...
said the world would not enjoy security until all nuclear weapons were eliminated. He said the international community had failed to reward Libya for ceasing its nuclear programme and hoped similar sanctions would be applied to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. Shalgham also said that while his country did not normally support sanctions which harm the population, in this case this was the best way forward to bring about a solution to the situation.
* : Ambassador
Claude Heller
Claude Heller Rouassant (born 2 May 1949 in Mexico City) was the Ambassador for Mexico to the United Nations and the Security Council. He has been Mexico's Ambassador to France, Cuba, Austria and Switzerland. He was also ambassador to the Organis ...
said the resolution was a "clear message" that North Korea's actions were unacceptable to the international community. He remarked that recent actions by the DPRK were in violation of Security Council resolutions which undermined aspirations for a nuclear-free world and urged North Korea to "completely and permanently" cease further nuclear tests.
* : Speaking in his national capacity, the current Council President
Baki İlkin
Baki İlkin (born 3 October 1943 in Ankara) is a Turkish diplomat and ambassador who served as the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations.(4 October 2010)Turkey risks not being represented in Security Council voting ''Hürriye ...
said recent actions by North Korea undermined stability, mutual trust and confidence in the region, which the Turkish government strongly condemned. He urged the country to rejoin the six-party talks, seeing them as the best way forward to ensure denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.
* : Permanent Representative
Ruhakana Rugunda
Ruhakana Rugunda (born 7 November 1947) is a Ugandan physician and politician who had been Prime Minister of Uganda from 2014 to 2021. He held a long series of cabinet posts under President Yoweri Museveni beginning in 1986. He served as Uganda's ...
echoed the sentiment of the Council, as it was "important to achieve
non-proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as " Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Wea ...
on the Korean peninsula".
* : Representative
Le Luong Minh supported the consensus of the Council, emphasising his country's commitment to non-proliferation but remarked that the sanctions should not adversely affect the population of North Korea.
Other UN members
* : South Korea was invited to participate during the session. Representative Park In-kook said the nuclear test violated Council resolutions and "defied warnings from the international community" which threatened peace and stability in the region, thus all member states should ensure they implement the sanctions fully. He said the South Korean government strongly urged the North to rejoin the six-party talks and to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
North Korean reaction
An official newspaper said that the country would consider any new sanctions imposed as a "declaration of war". In response, a statement from the Foreign Ministry, carried by the official
Korean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946 and now features onlin ...
(KCNA), said that the country would "weaponize all
plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
" and had reprocessed more than "one-third of our spent nuclear fuel rods".
[North Korea in plutonium threat](_blank)
BBC News Online. June 13, 2009 It also announced it would start
uranium enrichment
Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238U ...
.
The statement considered any attempt at a blockade as an "act of war that will be met with a decisive military response", and would "counter 'sanctions' with retaliation and 'confrontation' with all-out confrontation", accusing the resolution of being a product of a U.S.-led offensive against the country. The North Korean Foreign Ministry statement on KCNA continues:
A commentary in the ''
Rodong Sinmun
''Rodong Sinmun'' (; ) is a North Korean newspaper that serves as the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It was first published on November 1, 1945, as ''Chŏngro'' (), serving as a communication channel ...
'' newspaper alleged the United States had 1,000 nuclear weapons in South Korea ready to strike North Korea, with the ''Tongbil Sinmun'' warning that nuclear war could break out on the Korean peninsula. A U.S. military spokesman described the allegations as "baseless", adding that the weapons were removed under a 1991 treaty.
On June 15, the North Korean government organized a "mammoth" 100,000-strong protest in Pyongyang's
Kim Il-sung Square __NOTOC__
Kim Il-sung Square is a large city square in the Central District of Pyongyang, North Korea, and is named after the country's founding leader, Kim Il-sung. The square was constructed in 1954 according to a master plan for reconstructing ...
against Resolution 1874. Secretary of the Central Committee
Workers' Party of Korea
The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. Founded in 1949 from the merger of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of ...
Kim Ki Nam blamed the United States for pushing through the sanctions, adding that they would not weaken the DPRK.
Enforcement
Economic and commercial sanctions
The South Korean-based Hyundai Economic Research Institute estimated that if the sanctions are enforced by all UN member states, North Korea could lose between US$1.5–3.7 billion, whereas other estimates suggest US$4 billion. However, a
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a c ...
report for the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
notes that this is only possible if the sanctions are applied forcefully.
[Nikitin, Mary Beth; Manyin, Mark E.; Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Nanto, Dick K.; Niksch, Larry A. (July 23, 2009)]
North Korea’s Second Nuclear Test: Implications of U. N. Security Council Resolution 1874
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a c ...
. The United States is targeting access by North Korea to foreign banks used by its trading companies.
["Background Briefing on North Korea." ]U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
, Bureau of Public Affairs. July 15, 2009. On 16 July 2009, a UN sanctions committee designated for sanctions three North Korean trading companies, an Iran-based company and North Korea's General Bureau of Atomic Energy.
Luxury consumer goods, such as alcohol, computers, motorcycles, yachts, and luxury foods, for the North Korean elite, were primarily sourced from
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and China, the latter of which reported a high demand by top North Korean officials. The exports of luxury goods by China in particular is around US$100–160 million, which has caused concern for the United States as to how China is implementing the sanctions.
Sea cargo
A number of North Korean ships have been seized or searched under the terms of Resolution 1874.
* The ''
Kang Nam 1
The ''Kang Nam 1'' is a 2,000 ton North Korean cargo ship.
It is one of a series of five vessels, owned by the North Korean government, named ''Kang Nam 1'' through ''Kang Nam 5''.
According to South Korean media reports, the ''Kang Nam 1'' itself ...
'' came to international attention after it was heading for
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
via
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
in June 2009. The ship, suspected of carrying illicit weapons, was tracked by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and Singapore also warned it would "act appropriately" if the ship were to dock at its port. Burma claimed it was delivering rice to the country.
The ''Kang Nam 1'' later reversed its course without explanation and returned to North Korea. An unnamed South Korean government source said that payment for the weapons from Myanmar's government were to take place via an unnamed bank in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, but had probably been stopped after a U.S. envoy visited Malaysia on 6 July to discuss the situation.
*
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
detained a "suspicious" North Korean ship off the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...
in early August 2009 after firing several warning shots into the air and six hour chase. The MV ''Mu San'' was suspected of carrying nuclear cargo and entering India's waters without permission. A search of the ship later found that it was carrying sugar, but it would still be booked under the Indian Maritime Act.
* In late August 2009, United Nations diplomats confirmed the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
had seized a North Korean ship, the Bahamian-flagged ''ANL-Australia'', bound for
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
several weeks previously. It was found to have been carrying weapons in violation of the resolution.
* South Korean authorities searched containers shipped by North Korea on a
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
n flagged ship on September 22, 2009. Protective clothing was later discovered. However, a government official said items found in the containers belonged to the
Australia Group
The Australia Group is a multilateral export control regime (MECR) and an informal group of countries (now joined by the European Commission) established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984) to help member countries to i ...
, though officially the South Korean government did not confirm nor deny this.
* India seized a second North Korean ship destined for
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
from
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, in October 2009 after it anchored in India's territorial waters without permission. The ''Hyang Ro'' was later released after nothing suspicious was found.
* South Africa intercepted North Korean arms travelling by way of China destined for central Africa in February 2010.
* In mid-July 2013,
Panama seized a North Korean-flagged ship carrying military equipment from
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
to
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
via the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
.
Air cargo
The resolution is vague on how to implement sanctions on North Korean air cargo, in contrast to the provisions for sea cargo.
However, it is alleged that North Korea uses air traffic more than sea traffic to transport or exchange weapons technology. The Congressional Research Service report identifies the
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
–
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
air route as a matter of concern, as most of the US$1.5 billion North Korea earns in weapons sales comes from Iran. In addition to this, the report claims the air route is also used for the exchange and collaboration of
WMD technology, as well as a route for visits by scientists, technicians and nuclear and ballistics officials.
Most of the route passes over China, and a U.S. delegation held talks with Chinese officials over how to implement the resolution regarding the aircraft which regularly refuel at Chinese airports, but did not report on the response.
* In December 2009, police in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
seized a plane with five crew on board from
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
carrying weapons to an unknown location. The shipment reportedly consisted of "parts" of war weapons.
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
was involved according to Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva and foreign embassies were asked for further information. The men were later arrested and it was later discovered that the weapons were bound for
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
N Korea arms 'were bound for Iran'
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
. January 31, 2010.
See also
* 2009 North Korean nuclear test
The 2009 North Korean nuclear test was the underground detonation of a nuclear device conducted on Monday, 25 May 2009 by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
* (2008–2009)
* United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on October 14, 2006. The resolution, passed under Chapter VII, Article 41, of the UN Charter, imposes a series of economic and commer ...
* North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
North Korea has a Korean People's Army, military nuclear weapon program, nuclear weapons program and, as of early 2020, is estimated to have an nuclear arsenal, arsenal of approximately 30 to 40 nuclear weapons and sufficient production of f ...
* Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 (reflight)
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 () was a North Korean Earth observation satellite which, according to the DPRK, was for weather forecast purposes, and whose launch was widely portrayed in the West to be a veiled ballistic missile test. The satellite was l ...
References
External links
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Text of the Resolution at undocs.org
U.S. State Department
UN video feeds of Security Council vote
UN webcast
{{Nuclear program of North Korea
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Nuclear program of North Korea
United Nations Security Council sanctions regimes
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June 2009 events
2009 in North Korea
Sanctions against North Korea