The United States plans to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to the country’s three missile tests on Wednesday. The Americans submit a resolution to this effect in the UN Security Council. The United Nations confirms that the vote will take place on Thursday.
There is a chance that China and Russia will veto additional sanctions for the poor communist country. However, the US believes that North Korea should be weakened through “punitive measures that limit North Korea’s ability to develop illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs,” the US government official said.
On Wednesday, three suspected ballistic missiles were fired in less than 45 minutes toward the Sea of Japan, called the Baltic Sea in Korean. Of the three missiles launched, South Korea’s General Staff said at least one was an ICBM. The other two missiles were suspected to be short-range missiles (SRBMs), and one of them failed.
The three missiles are the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea. Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has conducted 17 missile tests, including a long-range missile. But UN resolutions prohibit Pyongyang from testing ballistic missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead. Pyongyang has been subject to severe international sanctions as a result of its nuclear weapons program.
The US draft resolution, which the German news agency (DPA) was able to see, also includes sanctions against the North Korean hacking group Lazarus. According to the United States, that group is responsible for the theft of cryptocurrency worth about 570 million euros. Pirate attacks are seen as an important way for North Korea to fund its weapons programs. If the resolution is passed, Lazerus’ assets will be frozen.
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