South Korea yesterday welcomed stronger US sanctions on North Korea, a news report said, after Pyongyang’s nuclear and rocket tests earlier this year provoked international condemnation.
The new sanctions “demonstrate the US’ strong will to respond sternly to North Korea’s provocations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by Yonhap News Agency.
The US sanctions mean anyone who supports the regime in Pyongyang in its nuclear and missiles programmes, in particular financially, can be punished in the US.
They also contain measures against anyone involved in cyber warfare and human rights violations. The bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed into law Thursday, comes after official measures against Pyongyang were imposed by South Korea and Japan. South Korea suspended its operations at the joint Kaesong industrial zone in response to the North Korean nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch on February 7, leading to the zone being completely shut down amid mutual recriminations. The US and South Korea are also pushing for stronger sanctions from the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un says his reclusive nation plans more “satellite launches”—which the West sees as a cover for ballistic missile tests—calling space exploration a “strategic goal”, state media said yesterday.
“Conquering space is ... a fierce class struggle against the hostile forces seeking to usurp our peace and sovereignty”, Kim was quoted as saying at a Wednesday awards ceremony for those involved in this month’s rocket launch.
He also underscored the need to successfully launch “more working satellites”, Pyongyang’s KCNA news agency said.
“The advance toward space... is the DPRK’s (North Korea’s) strategic goal”, he said.
Calling the scientists involved in the February 7 launch “best patriots and admirable heroes”, Kim gave out medals, prizes and wristwatches bearing the names of the two late leaders of the Kim dynasty—Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. North Korea sparked international outrage with the launch of the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite.