United Nations drops sanctions on military communications between North and South Korea
Action came at South Korea’s request, after Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to re-establish phone lines as one step ‘to maintain peace and stability’
The United Nations committee on North Korea sanctions has approved a request by South Korea to allow military communication lines to be re-established between North and South Korea, a Security Council diplomat confirmed on Monday.
As part of that process, the committee will permit the use of materials and equipment like fibre optic cables, buses, trucks, petrol, engine oil and transmission fluid in the restoration of the lines.
North Korea has been subject to numerous rounds of sanctions stemming from its past nuclear and ballistic missile tests, so there are tight restrictions on imports from and exports to the country. Any sanction exemptions must be cleared by the 15-member committee and approved unanimously.
As an example, in December, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution capping exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea at 500,000 barrels a year, down from 2 million barrels, following Pyongyang’s test-firing the previous month of a new type of long-range missile.
Last week, South Korea’s UN ambassador, Cho Tae-yul, requested restored communications in a letter, which included a list of more than 50 items, addressed to the head of the sanctions committee, the Netherlands’ ambassador, Karel van Oosterom.
The letter describes the restoration of the lines as a “follow-up measure” to the historic Panmunjom Declaration that was signed between the top leaders of both countries at a meeting held at the border on April 27.
