A joint statement by countries monitoring the implementation of international sanctions against Pyongyang sparked a strong reaction from North Korea, with the North Korean Foreign Ministry denouncing a “flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty” and accusing the United States and the West of pursuing a hostile policy. At the same time, it made clear that economic and diplomatic pressure will not affect its status as a nuclear-armed state.
According to the state news agency KCNA, which reported the announcement on Saturday (October 31), a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected calls for stricter enforcement of international sanctions, arguing that the policies of Washington and its allies cannot overturn Pyongyang’s strategic choices.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Sanctions and pressure cannot shake us.”
The North Korean response came after a joint statement issued on Wednesday (October 28) by countries participating in the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, MSMT).
The group includes, among others, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.
A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry accused these countries of using the sanctions regime as a means of exerting political pressure.
“Sanctions and pressure may work on the weak, but never on us,” he said, according to KCNA.
He added that sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the West “cannot shake the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state.”
Pyongyang characterized the joint statement as a result of Western countries’ hostility toward it, arguing that it constitutes a direct affront to its national sovereignty.
What the countries imposing sanctions are demanding
In their joint statement, the countries of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Group called on all United Nations member states to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The restrictions concern, among other things, the employment of North Korean workers abroad, as well as prohibited military cooperation with Pyongyang.
The measures are intended to curb activities that could contribute to the financing and development of North Korea’s weapons programs.
UN Resolutions on the Nuclear Program
Since 2006, the United Nations Security Council has adopted a series of resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea, seeking to halt its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs.
However, Pyongyang continues to reject international pressure to abandon its nuclear arsenal, which it views as a key element of its defense and strategic policy.
The latest statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry reaffirms the country’s position that Western sanctions will not lead to a change in its nuclear status.
Source: Proto Thema
