On September 12, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided to impose new sanctions against North Korea.
After approving the UNSC Resolution on North Korea, main allies of the US in Asia, Japan and South Korea, stated that they are ready to exert pressure if Pyongyang keeps developing nuclear weapons and missiles aggressively. It is the ninth package of measures since 2006 imposed unanimously by 16 members of the UN Security Council regarding the missile and nuclear programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The initial draft of the resolution was stricter and had to be diluted to get support of China and Russia. Both countries have the veto power in the UNSC.
According to the new resolution, the UN members should stop textile imports from North Korea. In 2016, textiles were the second biggest export item of the DPRK after coal and other minerals, totaling $752 million, which is a fourth of the country’s revenue from trading. Almost 80% of the North Korean textile went to China.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said: “This resolution also puts an end to the regime making money from the 93,000 North Korean citizens it sends overseas to work and heavily taxes. This ban will eventually starve the regime of an additional $500 million or more in annual revenues.”
On September 3, Pyongyang carried out another nuclear test. The North Korean mass media says that the country developed a hydrogen bomb that may be set onto the intercontinental ballistic missile.
