World devises sanctions to punish NK over missile test

South Korea and the world have begun discussing sanctions on North Korea for its launch of a long-range rocket.

The U.N. Security Council will add more sanctions and other countries will further strengthen individual actions to close loopholes on trade. Through the council, Seoul and Washington plan to adopt a resolution on additional sanctions on Pyongyang such as tighter inspection of vessels that deal with the communist country.

A resolution is the most stringent among three options that also include a chairman’s statement and a press statement. A resolution requires consent from at least nine of the 15 council member countries and no permanent member can disagree.

Kim Sook, South Korea`s ambassador to the U.N., said China, a permanent council member, stressed “peace and safety on the Korean Peninsula” in the first emergency meeting of the council in New York Wednesday instead of criticizing the North`s rocket launch. A high-ranking government official in Seoul also said, “It won’t be easy to persuade Beijing. It believes that it can punch Pyongyang as a warning if it does something wrong but not to the degree that it could injure it.”

According to U.N. sources, if the discussion over sanctions drags on, at least a week would be needed to come up with a conclusion.

While the U.N. holds its discussion, individual countries can implement their own sanctions. A high-ranking South Korean official said, “We’ll work with Washington and Tokyo or put sanctions in finance and shipping. Looking into North Korean vessels based on the Public Order in Open Ports Act is part of the move.” The law, which passed the South Korean legislature earlier this month, bans foreign vessels that have visited North Korea from coming to South Korea for 180 days without Seoul`s permission. In other words, the South wants to cut supply routes to the North.

The European Union has taken the initiative in sanctioning North Korea by putting 30 companies and entities involved in the arms business with the Stalinist country as subject to sanctions. The EU designated for sanctions 22 North Koreans, including three involved in the rocket launch, and the U.S. eight. Since Pyongyang changed the currency it uses in international transactions to the euro after Washington placed financial sanctions on Banco Delta Asia in Macau in 2005, the EU’s actions will have a huge impact on the North.

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement after the first meeting that said, “Members of the Security Council condemned this launch, which is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874.” The council used “condemn,” a stronger term than “deplore” that was used in the chairman’s statement in April.

lightee@donga.com