The discontinuation of the Panel of Experts assisting the Sanctions Committee on North Korea at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), due to Russia’s veto on March 28, marks a critical juncture in the effort to address North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. This event signifies more than just the loss of a body dedicated to monitoring and reporting North Korea’s sanctions violations. It is a clear signal that the entire sanctions regime against North Korea, painstakingly developed through extensive international discussions over the past two decades, is now at risk of collapsing. South Korean Ambassador to the UN, Hwang Joon-kook, described the situation, saying, “This is almost comparable to destroying a CCTV to avoid being caught red-handed.”
Created in response to North Korea’s second nuclear test in 2009, the Panel consists of experts from eight countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, China, and Russia. It submits biannual reports on North Korea’s sanctions violations to the committee. Due to its high international credibility, there has been intense diplomatic maneuvering under the surface, with South Korea trying to include as many violations as possible and North Korea trying to have as many removed. In March 2019, the panel’s report featured a photo of former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un riding together in a Mercedes-Benz limousine in Pyongyang, sparking significant attention domestically and internationally. A former Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, “It was an institution operated on a rare consensus among member states within the UN, and now it has disappeared.”
The intensifying U.S.-China rivalry and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have polarized the international situation, weakening the effectiveness of sanctions against North Korea for quite some time. The Financial Times reported on March 26 that North Korea is openly smuggling energy resources from Russia, signaling that the UN sanctions regime against North Korea is “nearing collapse.” China abstained from voting on the resolution to extend the mandate of the expert panel this time, but as a member of the UNSC, it has vetoed various condemnations and sanction discussions over the past few years. Particularly in 2022, despite North Korea launching missiles more than 70 times, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), China repeatedly argued that “North Korea’s legitimate concerns must be considered.” Since China and Russia had unanimously supported all 10 UNSC sanctions resolutions initiated in response to North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006 up until 2017, South Korea found their shift in stance to be particularly painful.
Since the launch of Yoon’s administration, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have imposed independent sanctions targeting individuals and organizations involved in North Korea’s nuclear program several times. This was to put a partial brake on North Korea’s reckless nuclear provocations by blocking cryptocurrency hacks, which has emerged as a new “blue ocean,” while the UNSC became virtually powerless. However, the question arises whether the sanctions against North Korea imposed by the three countries are effective without the renewal of the mandate of the Committee’s Panel of Experts. Many countries may no longer feel the need to comply with the sanctions, except Canada, Australia, and some Nordic countries that have shown commendable adherence to the restraints. The fear is that this could inadvertently signal approval for North Korea to expand its nuclear arsenal. For North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, this would offer some relief from the strict oversight of the pressure.
Global condemnation grows over Russia’s veto. The White House rebuked Russia for “using its veto to cover up the company’s corrupt deal with North Korea” on March 28. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement, calling the move “disrespectful of the United Nations and multilateralism” and “dereliction to its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council.” In conservative circles in the U.S., some have even said the UN is a “totally useless organization” and called for a reduction in U.S. contributions. Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said, “The UNSC’s sanctions on North Korea will remain in effect even after the panel’s monitoring ends,” adding, “The United States will continue to share information with other members about Pyongyang’s development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and will continue to enforce those sanctions.”
