| At UN,
N Korea
PR Asks To
Meet GA Prez,
Is Praised For S
Korea Moves, Sanctions
Stasis
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Video, Patreon
UNITED NATIONS,
January 3 – Amid news of the
December 22 vote in the UN
Security Council on the new
North Korea sanctions draft, put
on Patreon here,
less focus was on the 10 North
Korean ships the US had asked
the Council's 1718 sanctions
committee to put on its list.
Now that four of those ten are
on the list, now South Korea has
seized another ship that wasn't
even proposed: the Panamanian
flagged KOTI. They say, "the
investigation is underway." Will
it be finished before their
upcoming Winter Olympics? Of of
5 pm on January 3 the 1718
committee online list,
presumably now run by the
Netherlands, had not been
updated since December 22.
But on January 3, this: "The
President of the 72nd session of
the General Assembly, H.E. Mr.
Miroslav Lajcák, met today with
H.E. Mr. Ja Song Nam, Permanent
Representative of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea
(DPRK) to the United Nations, at
the request of the Permanent
Representative. The President of
the General Assembly said he was
pleased with the readiness of
DPRK to constructively engage in
a dialogue with the Republic of
Korea, including a possible
participation of a delegation
from DPRK in the Winter Olympic
Games in PyeongChang, Republic
of Korea, as well as with the
reopening of the communication
channels." From Guterres, back
from vacation, platitudes
through his deputy spokesman.
Red alert indeed. The day after
passage of the changed - and
left unclear on one name -
resolution, when Inner City
Press came in to the UN to cover
the end game of the stalled UN
budget, sources told it that
China has "broken silence" on
the US' ship listing requesting,
moving the deadline back to
December 28. On the afternoon of
December 28 Inner City Press
came into the UN to check. It
received an answer, that the
"vessels are still under
discussion within the 1718
Committee." Now the discussion
has evolved: China has agreed to
put four of the ten ships on the
sanctions list - the BILLIONS
NO. 18, UL JI BONG 6, RUNG RA 2
and RYE SONG GANG - while six
are kept off the list,
essentially vetoed by China: Xin
Sheng Hai, HK-flagged Lighthouse
Winmore; Togo-flagged Yu Yuan
(Togo voted with the UN on
Jerusalem, while also killing
protesters); Panama-flagged
Glory Hope 1 a/k/a Kai Xiang and
NK's Sam Jong 2. Sam Jong rides
again? Actually, a very involved
party tells Inner City Press it
was BILLIONS No. 18 that stayed
off the list, with Sam Jong 2
on. Typically, the 1718
Sanctions Committee website,
under outgoing Italian
chairmanship and
spokespersonship, had not been
updated as of 11 am on December
29. Then again, there are
reports of Italy bombing
illegally exported to the Saudi
led Coalition for bombing in
Yemen, about which Inner City
Press has asked the UN
Spokesman. We'll have more on
this. Back on December 22 the
North Korea vote was to be at 1
pm but was delayed: Nikki Haley
and her counterparts from Russia
and China had stepped out. When
they returned, the resolution
was adopted 15-0. It was
different than the draft the
night before, not only in
extending the time for the
repatriation of North Korean
workers from 12 to 24 months as
Inner City Press immediately
tweeted, but also adding a
paragraph that "this resolution
shall in no way impede the
activities of diplomatic or
consular missions in the DPRK
pursuant to the Vienna
Conventions on Diplomatic and
Consular Relations" and dropping
from sanctions these four: JI
SANG JUN, an official of Korea
Kumgang Group Bank, AKA:
Chi Sang-chun, PAK CHOL NAM, an
overseas First Credit Bank
representative, AKA: Pak
Ch'o'l-nam, PAK MUN IL, an
overseas official of Korea
Daesong Bank, AKA: Pak Mun-il;
and PANG SU NAM an overseas
Ilsim International Bank
representative, Pang So-nam;
Pang Sunam. (Since they were
removed, we are omitting their
DOBs and passport numbers.) A
summary was sent out, including
that "5. North Korean Overseas
Workers (OP8): Requires
countries to expel all North
Korean laborers earning income
abroad immediately but no later
than 24 months later (end of
2019)." But in the draft, in
OP8, it was TWELVE months:
"decides that Member
States shall repatriate to
the DPRK all DPRK nationals
earning income in that Member
State’s jurisdiction and all
DPRK government safety oversight
attachés monitoring DPRK workers
abroad within 12 months from the
date of adoption of this
resolution." Call it the Art of
the Deal. We'll have more on
this. In North Korea
accompanying UN Department of
Political Affairs chief Jeffrey
Feltman was a former staffer of
his who now works directly with
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, Katrin Hett. UN's
belated read-out below, along
with a fast InnerCityPro.com
summary of Feltman's December 12
press encounter, in which Inner
City Press asked him about North
Korea's arguments against
sanctions, and if Secretary
General Antonio Guterres has a
role (apparently not). Now on
December 15 in the UN Security
Council, after US Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson's speech,
below, Russia's Permanent
Representative Nebenzia said,
"We are living through one of
the most acute and dramatic
phases of the situation on the
Korean peninsula. Military
rhetoric accompanied by a test
of strength between the
participants has led to a
situation where people start to
wonder whether there will be war
or not. Russia has observed with
concern the dangerous
developments. We call on the NK
authorities to return to the non
proliferation regime of the NPT
and the IAEA as a non-nuclear
state. At the same time, it
should be clear to everybody
that the DPRK is hardly going to
refrain from its nuclear and
missile program while it feels a
threat to its security.
Diplomacy isn’t just sanctions.
Sanctions aren’t diplomacy, as
some partners are trying to
convince us. There is a whole
range of other methods within
the diplomatic arsenal.
Resolving the nuclear issue is
not possible just through
pressure. Incidentally, in
response to the US secretary of
state, the North Korean workers
aren’t working in in Russia in
slave like conditions. They’re
working on a basis of an
intergovernmental agreement with
DPRK that guarantees their
rights. We hope the US will be
able to help resolve the crisis
in the Korean peninsula. Two and
a half months of quiet from
Pyongyang were answered by the
US by unannounced military
exercises." Earlier, Tillerson
said, "This body has taken a
leading role in condemning North
Korea’s unlawful programs and
imposing consequences. We will
not accept a nuclear North
Korea. Each UN member state must
implement existing UNSC
resolution… hesitation calls
into question whether your vote
is in words only. More can and
must be done beyond enforcing
the minimum requirements of the
Security Council resolutions.
Many allies and partners of the
US have joined our campaign,
going beyond mere compliance
with the Security Council
resolutions. We ask these
nations to further increase
pressure through unilateral
actions. We particularly call on
Russia and China to increase
pressure. Continuing to allow
North Korea laborers to toil
under slave-like conditions
inside Russia, in exchange for
wages used to fund nuclear
programs, calls into questions
Russia’s position as a partner
for peace. Similarly, as Chinese
oil continues to flow into North
Korea, The US questions China’s
dedication to solving this
issue. All options remain on the
table in defense of our nation.
But we do not seek or want war
with North Korea. The US will
use all necessary measures to
defend ourselves against North
Korea. North Korea must earn its
way back to the [negotiating]
table. The pressure campaign
must and will continue until
denuclearization is achieved. We
will in the mean time keep our
channels open." Earn its way
back is different that "no
preconditions." More on this to
follow.
Here's the ICP fast summary of
Feltman's stakeout on December
12: "The international community
is united in its opposition to
the DPRK’s pursuit of nuclear
weapons. I emphasized the
importance of…the military to
military hotline to reduce risks
and manage crisis. My
visit was only a beginning, and
we should continue our dialogue.
I learned of an anticipated
funding shortfall that could
seriously affect the people of
the DPRK. In my career, this was
the most important mission I’ve
ever undertaken. Time will tell
what was the impact of our
discussions. But I think we’ve
left the door ajar. And I
fervently hope that the door to
a negotatited solution will now
be open wide. Q: Tillerson says
no pre-conditions to talks. Is
that helpful? What will the next
step be? A: I just came from the
SC, and the SC was united on the
fact that we need a political
solution. The most recent SC
resolution calls for a peaceful,
diplomatic solution. That was
the message I took to Pyongyang:
that the international community
is committed to that kind of
solution. We have to open the
door to a different direction.
They agreed that it was
important to prevent war. How
they do that, how we do that was
the topic of 15 plus hours of
discussion. The people we met
listened to our arguments, they
explored our thinking.
Ultimately they have to take
what we said and talk about it
with our leadership. So I’m
reluctant to say now what was
the impact of our visit. Because
they need time to consider. Q:
Did you sense that the North
Koreans are willing to talk to
the US? A: We emphasized to the
DPRK officials that we really
believe they need to signal that
they’re wiling to go in a
different direction, to start
talking about talks. They
listened seriously to our
arguments, but they were not ---
they didn’t offer any type of
commitment to us at that point.
I think they need to reflect on
what we said with their
leadership. Q: In your statement
you noted difficulty with
procurement and funding gaps.
What’s the impact of SC
sanctions on the country? A:
Sanctions helped us in one way:
there is international
consensus. They were very much
focused on 1 particular member
state. And we were trying ot
help them understand that,
whatever the problems are
between Pyongyang and
Washington, they have a larger
problem, that the international
community does not accept the
nuclear program. So the
sanctions helped us.What I was
concerned about was the
reduction in programs for the
DPRK. The program is only 30
percent funded. It’s having a
large impact on how the UN can
deliver on its humanitarian
programs. I was concerned about
the overall lack of
funding…which affects the UN’s
ability to deliver life-saving
equipment on the ground. Inner
City Press question on DPRK's
letters to SG Guterres about
sanctions and any role of SG
himself. A: We discussed this.
But their argument is that the
SC sanctions are contrary to the
charter, and there needs to be
some kind of mechanism to look
at this. The reality is that the
charter is quite different. The
UN is not a member state. We
talked a lot about what the
charter actually says, that
article 39 gives the Security
Council the right to decide…this
is something they will continue
to bring up with us. Q: Is the
lack of funding for the appeal
linked to the sanctions? Did you
ask to meet with Kim? A: I
suppose the atmosphere around
the DPRK and the unease the
international community has has
contributed to this. There’s a
sense that these problems are
self-inflicted and could be
resolved if the DPRK had
different priorities. But the
fact is, there’s a percentage of
the population that’s
food-insecure….I did not ask to
see the supreme leader. I assume
from the discussions I had that
they will be briefing their
leadership on the content of our
discussions. We’ve talked about
the fact that we need to keep a
dialogue going between the [UN]
Secretariat and the DPRK. Q:
Anything about stopping missile
development?
A: I can’t characterize
everything they said to us
behind closed doors. They
listened carefully, debated us,
took careful notes. I’m hopeful
that they’ll reflect our
concerns accurately. Whether it
was successful in persuading
them to accept our suggestions,
only time will tell." Inner City
Press exclusively reported this
on December 5, and after
Guterres canceled his December 6
noon briefing for a stakeout at
which he took no questions,
asked for confirmation from UN
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, who
typically refused. See below,
with two more names. Now the
question arises: why did Feltman
go? Or, why was it Feltman who
went? See below. On December 12
in front of the UN Security
Council, Resolution 1718
Sanctions committee chair
Sebastiano Cardi of Italy
recounted the previous day's
committee meeting. Inner City
Press asked him about Feltman's
read-out about problems with
procurement and funding gaps.
Cardi indicated the Council
would hear of that in a closed
door brieifng by Feltman later
in the day. Inner City Press
exclusive video here.
In the UN Security Council on
December 11, with no advance
notice from the UN, a meeting on
North Korea human rights was
held, preceded by a procedural
vote: ten for holding the
meeting,
three against (China, Russia and
Bolivia) with
two abstaining: Ethiopia and
Egypt, whose state media Akhbar
al Yom favored by the UN and
awarded Inner City Press' long
time work space was again not
present. The UN is becoming
like... Then a meeting in
Conference Room 1, interstitial
Periscope here,
during right the North Korean
mission to the UN sent a
statement to the Press referring
to the the "non-existent" human
rights issue. Attached here
on Patreon. Finally, in the
afternoon, a North Korea 1718
Sanctions Committee meeting.
Inner City Press afterward asked
outgoing chair Sebastiano Cardi
about Feltman's read-out's
reference to problems with
"procurement" there; Cardi said
he'd wait to hear from Feltman
in the coming days. Video here.
(Inner City Press hears:
afternoon of December 12). Dutch
Ambassador Karel van Oosterom
was hanging around, leading
Inner City Press to again
surmise he's talking over the
chair of the 1718 committee on
Jan 1, something Cardi declined
to confirm on camera. How open
will Karel van Oosterom be? So
far, not. Feltman has served
more than five years, having
been appointed to the UN under
President Obama. Inner City
Press reported that Feltman
convinced Guterres to keep him
on so that his UN pension could
vest. Now, while Inner City
Press sources tell Inner City
Press of moves among some in the
Trump administration to
belatedly replace Feltman, he
goes to North Korea. Is this to
try to save his job, to become
"indispensable"? Or is it the
best way for the US,
contemplating military action,
to say diplomacy was tried,
albeit with a lame duck? While
most at the UN, spoon-fed by the
reclusive Guterres, haven't hard
these questions, others have,
for example in South Korea where
this
article emphasizes
Feltman's marginality, returning
empty handed. But with Guterres
selling himself first to Japan
then on Wall Street, they
believe the charade can
continue. We'll have more on
this. Because of today's UN
secrecy, it was the North Korean
government which issued a
read-out of the meetings: "the
visit of Jeffrey Feltman, the
undersecretary general for
political affairs at the U.N.,
helped the communist nation and
U.N. understand each other
deeply, and the two sides agreed
to have regular communications
at various levels, according to
the Korean Central News Agency.
KCNA reported that North Korea
told U.N. officials that current
situation on the Korean
Peninsula is due to the United
States' threat and its wish to
launch a nuclear attack against
North Korea first. The U.N.
officials responded that they
will help ease tensions on the
Korean Peninsula by following
the U.N. Charter, which states
the organization's mission of
maintaining international peace
and security, the KCNA added.
According to the KCNA, Feltman
recognized international
sanctions against North Korea
are having a negative influence
on humanitarian aid there. He
visited a children's food
factory and a hospital in
Pyongyang on Thursday. Feltman
was expected to leave Pyongyang
on a North Korean Air Koryo
passenger jet to land in Beijing
on Saturday." Maybe Feltman will
speak there, as he so rarely has
in his more than five years at
the UN. Hett has yet to speak.
While SG Guterres' spokesman
Stephane Dujarric did not
initially confirm Inner City
Press noting in "his" UN Press
Briefing room that Feltman's
predecessor and Ban's brain Kim
Won-soo visited DPRK in February
2010 and now some surmise why.
The month after that visit
described by both as this one
should be as having been
successful, North Korea sunk
South Korea's Cheonan
ship, killing 46. And this time?
Guterres himself, typically, is
avoiding the Press. But multiple
sources tell Inner City Press
Guterres doled out quotes to
media from a major UN funder.
This before he whispers again on
December 15 in a Wall Street
event he'll be sold for $1200 a
table at. We'll have more on
this. For now, Feltman has
issued this read-out:
"Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman visited the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) from 5 to 8 December
2017. Mr. Feltman had a series
of meetings with H.E. Mr. RI
Yong Ho, Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and H.E. Mr. PAK Myong
Guk, Vice Minister for Foreign
Affairs, of the DPRK. They
exchanged views on the Korean
Peninsula and agreed that the
current situation was the most
tense and dangerous peace and
security issue in the world
today. Mr. Feltman emphasized
the need for the full
implementation of all relevant
Security Council
resolutions. He also said
there can only be a diplomatic
solution to the situation,
achieved through a process of
sincere dialogue. Time is of the
essence. Noting the
urgent need to prevent
miscalculations and open
channels to reduce the risks of
conflict, Mr. Feltman underlined
that the international
community, alarmed by escalating
tensions, is committed to the
achievement of a peaceful
solution to the situation on the
Korean Peninsula. Mr.
Feltman also met with the United
Nations Country Team and members
of the diplomatic corps, and
visited UN project sites,
including a children’s foodstuff
factory, TB prevention
institute, breast tumour
institute, and paediatric
hospital. During the site visits
he learned about the UN’s
life-saving work on the ground
as well as the challenges in
procurement and funding gaps."
And on this: in advance of a
December 11, 11:30 am North
Korea human rights event
announced by the US, it
belatedly emerges that the UN
Security Council is set to hold
a procedural vote at 10 am for a
human rights meeting in the
Council. Inner City Press twice
asked Japan's Koro Bessho, the
Council's president for
December, about this. The first
time he said it was still being
worked on. The second time, he
walked away. And it was his
deputy, not him, who appeared at
the Council stakeout on the
afternoon of December 8. Inner
City Press asked a question and
it was partially answered. But
it was not Bessho. More on this
- and on Feltman and his team's
trip to North Korea. It is
customary to at least disclose
the identities of such a
delegation. And so today Inner
City Press names two others
accompanying Feltman:
unsurprisingly the UN Resident
Coordinator in DPRK since 2015,
Tapan Mishra formerly of Burma
Shell Co, and surprising to
some, Department of Political
Affairs staffer Samuel Martell
of the UK, in his position since
October 2014. We'll have more on
these, amid Guterres
increasingly shrunk UN
transparency. He banned the
Press from his swearing-in of
Global Communications boss
Alison Smale; now he says that
unlike even Ban Ki-moon, he will
hold no end of the year press
conference, while arranging to
be sold on Wall Street for $1200
a table. This is today's UN. As
to Hett, she was suggested to
(or some say, planted with)
Guterres by Feltman during the
former's transition, and since
then Hett has nearly always been
at Guterres' side. For example
she took an August 2017 photograph
of Guterres with Palestine Prime
Minister Rami Hamdallah
published by the UN Department
of Public Information. Inner
City Press exclusively
quoted DPA whistleblowers that
Hett reported back to Feltman
all of the people Guterres was
interviewing to staff up his
administration. (Guterres'
spokesman called the questioning
despicable.) Now Hett is in
North Korea, with Feltman - and
Guterres excluded the Press from
his December 6 swearing-in of
DPI's Alison Smale, here.
Guterres is sure to hype up his
wor on North Korea in connection
with his December 13-14 trip to
Japan. But what about Hett? To
some, the UN is beginning to
mirror Feltman and Hett's host.
On December 7 (after the UN noon
briefing was canceled on
December 6 to a Guterres
stakeout without any questions),
Inner City Press asked Guterres'
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN
transcript here:
Inner City Press: "the meetings
that Mr. Feltman's had in North
Korea, but the Swedish
ambassador today in front of the
Security Council said that he
has a report from Sweden's
embassy there. Has Feltman
met with any of the remaining
diplomatic corps in
Pyongyang? And also, can
you say what the composition of
his team is? Is Katrin
Hett on it, and if so, is she
back with DPA [Department of
Political Affairs], and who else
is with him? Usually
people do readout who went to a
place. Deputy Spokesman:
No. We're not doing that
at this stage. Like I
said, we're waiting until he's
completed his visit to be able
to provide some details.
And he does intend to brief both
the Security Council and the
press corps once he's
back." On December 7,
Inner City Press asked Swedish
Ambassador Olof Skoog when the
Security Council will hear from
Feltman about his visit. Skoog
replied that he has a report
from Sweden's embassy in North
Korea - perhaps in his
briefcase. Video here.
Then after Japan's Koro Bessho
told Inner City Press he was
still working on a December 11
Security Council event on North
Korea human rights, the US
Mission announced a different
December 11 event, 11:30 am in
Conference Room 1: "On Monday,
December 11, the Missions of the
United States, Australia,
Canada, France, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, and the
United Kingdom will jointly host
“North Korea Human Rights: The
Terrifying Experiences of
Forcibly Repatriated North
Korean Women.” The event will
feature testimony from a North
Korean survivor, who will
describe her ordeals and the
chilling experiences she endured
when repatriated multiple times
to North Korea. Michael Kirby,
former Justice of the Australian
High Court and former Chair of
the Commission of Inquiry on
Human Rights in the DPRK, and
David Hawk, former Executive
Director of Amnesty
International and North Korea
human rights expert and author
of The Hidden Gulag, will also
share their perspectives." Inner
City Press sought clarification
from Bessho later on December 7.
We'll have more on this - and on
this: not on the list is The
Netherlands, which Inner City
Press asked at the stakeout if
the Dutch will automatically
take over the North Korea
sanctions committee on January
1. This is not the time for lack
of transparency or selective
doling out of information or
access. After a lull, North
Korea fired a ballistic missile
on November 28. US President
Trump was briefed while it was
still in the air, his
spokesperson Sarah Huckabee
Sanders said
- making it a successful launch.
On December 4 the UN announced
that its outgoing head of
Political Affairs, American
diplomat Jeffrey Feltman, will
travel to North Korea from
December 5 to 8. UN spokesman
Stephane Dujarric said he
couldn't remember so high level
a UN visit; Inner City Press
pointed him to Feltman's
predecessor Lynn Pascoe's visit
in February 2010 with Kim
Won-soo. (Inner City Press
coverage here,
before Dujarric evicted
Inner City Press for covering
the UN's growing corruption.)
After the briefing, Dujarric
issued a note confirming the
Pascoe (and Amos) trips. There
is a cash (or Kash) for Kim echo
Inner City Press will follow up
on, for now this.
But how long with Feltman even
stay in this UN job he remained
in for his pension to vest,
having been appointed under
Obama? On December 5, the UK
deputy ambassador Allen said,
"Mr. Feltman goes with our
backing and I think he goes to
represent the UN family as a
whole. The SG, the Security
Council is united on the DPRK,
and I’m sure he will take that
with him. He is a very
experienced diplomat and I look
forward to hearing from him when
he comes back... This is a trip
that’s been planned for a while.
DPRK is not somewhere you jump
on a plane to at short notice
and hope for the best. He’s been
planning this trip; it is one
that he is taking and I don’t
put any significance on the
timing." Video here.
We are still waiting for a
response to our most recent
email to the Mission to the UN
of Japan, this month's outgoing
UN Security Council President.
Back on November 28 the UN
Security Council had a
previously scheduled 3 pm
meeting about foreign terrorist
fighters, and then one on North
Korea at 4:30 pm on November 29.
Now on November 30, Trump has
spoken with South Korea's Moon Jae-in
and
issued this: "President Donald
J. Trump spoke today with
President Moon Jae-in of the
Republic of Korea for the second
time since North Korea launched
an intercontinental ballistic
missile on November 28.
The two leaders discussed next
steps to respond to this most
recent provocation by North
Korea, including how to bring
maximum pressure to bear on the
regime. The presidents
reiterated their strong
commitment to enhancing the
alliance’s deterrence and
defense capabilities. Both
leaders reaffirmed their strong
commitment to compelling North
Korea to return to the path of
denuclearization at any
cost. President Trump
committed to sending a
high-level delegation to the
2018 Pyeongchang Winter
Olympics." On November 29, USg
Jeff Feltman told the Council he
met with North Korea's
Ambassador and expressed the
deep concern of Antonio
Guterres. But he and Guterres
this year accepted a Kim
government nominee into
Feltman's Department of
Political Affairs. Photos here.
Typically, at the end there was
a whimper, Italy's Sebastiano
Cardi bragging how his country
paused DPRK diplomats and saying
there would be no Council
statement, it had all been
public. And? At 3 pm, entering
the prior Security Council
meeting about Lebanon, the
Council's president for November
Sebastiano Cardi said that no
written proposal for an outcome
of the meeting has been
circulated. French Ambassador
Francois Delattre spoke again of
tightening existing sanctions.
Periscope video of both, and
interstitial fill, here.
In the morning he said, "On
North Korea, the two key words
are full implementation of the
existing sanctions, and there is
still some margin here, and
tightening of the sanctions. So
we are working along these
lines." Earlier on November 29
US President Trump tweeted, "Just spoke to
President XI JINPING of China
concerning the provocative
actions of North Korea.
Additional major sanctions will
be imposed on North Korea today.
This situation will be
handled!" This gave rise
to a question to UN Security
Council president Sebastiano
Cardi, who asked, "The
President?" There was laughter.
Inner City Press tweeted video here.
Earlier still on November 29,
the US White House announced
that "President Donald J. Trump
spoke today with President Xi
Jinping of the People’s Republic
of China to discuss North
Korea’s latest missile
launch. President Trump
underscored the determination of
the United States to defend
ourselves and our allies from
the growing threat posed by the
North Korean regime. President
Trump emphasized the need for
China to use all available
levers to convince North Korea
to end its provocations and
return to the path of
denuclearization." At 12:30 pm
Korean time (10:30 pm in New
York), KCNA confirmed: ""Kim
Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our
Party, state and army, gave an
autographic order to test-fire
the newly developed
inter-continental ballistic
rocket Hwasong-15 on Nov. 28,
Juche 106." Now, as to November
28, the Council's outgoing
president Italy says, "we will
meet again at 3 pm to hold
closed consultations on 1701
report (Lebanon). USG Lacroix
and Deputy Special Coordinator
in Lebanon Philippe Lazzarini
are the confirmed briefers in
consultations. At the end of
this meeting, we will move to
the Open Chamber to discuss the
issue of nuclear
non-proliferation regime in
relation to Democratic People's
Republic of Korea. The briefers
will be Under-Secretary General
for Political Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman and Ambassador
Sebastiano Cardi, as Chair of
the Sanctions Committee 1718."
So will the Netherlands take
over that Committee when they
assume Italy's Council seat on
January 1? Feltman gave a speech
on November 28 at CFR what was
supposed to be live-streamed but
apparently wasn't. It ends with
a whimper. Trump spoke with
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe, and issued this read out:
"President Donald J. Trump spoke
today with Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe of Japan to address North
Korea’s launch of an
intercontinental ballistic
missile that impacted within
Japan’s Exclusive Economic
Zone. The two leaders
agreed that the North Korean
regime’s provocative actions are
undermining its security and
further isolating it from the
international community.
The leaders reaffirmed their
commitment to combat the North
Korean threat." There will be a
meeting on North Korea on
November 28. This, from the US
Mission to the UN: "Ambassador
Haley and her counterparts from
Japan and the Republic of Korea
have requested an emergency UN
Security Council meeting to be
held in the open chamber in
response to North Korea’s latest
test of an intercontinental
ballistic missile. The Security
Council session will be held
tomorrow, Wednesday, November
29, around 4:30 p.m. EST."
During the November 28 meeting
on foreign fighters, US
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
issued this: "The United States
strongly condemns North Korea’s
launch of what is likely an
intercontinental ballistic
missile into the Sea of Japan,
indiscriminately threatening its
neighbors, the region and global
stability. The DPRK’s relentless
pursuit of nuclear weapons and
the means to deliver them must
be reversed. Together the
international community must
continue to send a unified
message to North Korea that the
DPRK must abandon its WMD
programs. All nations must
continue strong economic and
diplomatic measures. In
addition to implementing all
existing UN sanctions, the
international community must
take additional measures to
enhance maritime security,
including the right to interdict
maritime traffic transporting
goods to and from the DPRK. The
United States, in partnership
with Canada, will convene a
meeting of the United Nations
Command Sending States to
include the Republic of Korea
and Japan and other key affected
countries to discuss how the
global community can counter
North Korea’s threat to
international peace.
Diplomatic options remain viable
and open, for now. The
United States remains committed
to finding a peaceful path to
denuclearization and to ending
belligerent actions by North
Korea." Amid talk of increased
enforcement of sanctions on
North Korea - including now U.S.
President Trump putting the
country back on the State
Sponsors of Terrorism list
- the US Comptroller of
the Currency has "rescued" a
Japanese bank from a sanctions
violation investigation, see
below, including Inner City
Press' scoop on no-notice. North
Korea responded on November 22,
verbally, putting on KCNA that
“by re-listing DPRK as a ‘state
sponsor of terrorism,’ the U.S.
openly revealed to the whole
world its intention to destroy
our ideology and system by using
all kinds of means and methods.
Our army and people are full of
rage and anger toward the
heinous gangsters who dared to
put the name of our sacred
country in this wretched list of
‘terrorism’ and are hardening
their will to settle all
accounts with those gangsters at
any time in any way." On
November 21, the US sanctioned
these: The following individual
has been added to OFAC's SDN
List:
SUN, Sidong, Liaoning, China;
DOB 11 May 1976; POB Dandong,
China; Gender Male; Passport
G55296890 (China) issued 15 Sep
2011 expires 14 Sep 2021;
National ID No.
210623197605112215 (individual)
[DPRK4].
The following entities have been
added to OFAC's SDN List:
DANDONG DONGYUAN INDUSTRIAL CO.,
LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG DONGYUAN
INDUSTRIAL CO.; a.k.a. DANDONG
DONGYUAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD.),
No. 34-7, Zhenba Street,
Zhenxing District, Dandong
118001, China; Rm 3002 No 99 3 1
Binjiang Middle Rd, Zhenxing
District, Dandong, China;
D-U-N-S Number 542957624
[DPRK4].
DANDONG HONGDA TRADE CO. LTD.,
China; Room 301, No. 1 Building,
Business & Tourist Section,
Dandong, Liaoning, China
[DPRK4].
DANDONG KEHUA ECONOMY &
TRADE CO., LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG
KEHUA ECONOMIC AND TRADE CO.
LTD.), China; Room 102, 1/F,
Antai Garden, Zhenxing District,
Dandong, Liaoning 118000, China
[DPRK4].
DANDONG XIANGHE TRADING CO.,
LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG XIANGHE
TRADING CORPORATION; a.k.a.
DANDONG XIANGHE TRADING LTD. CO;
a.k.a. XIANGHE TRADE CO., LTD.),
China; No. 603, 2F, Jiadi
Square, Developing Zone,
Dandong, Liaoning, China; Beida
Rd., Pingxiang City, Chongzuo,
Guangxi 532600, China; Room 703,
No. 7 Building, Fangba, Yanjiang
Development Zone, Dandong, China
[DPRK4].
DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD,
Changgyong 2-dong, Sosong-guyok,
Pyongyang, Korea, North;
Nationality of Registration
Korea, North; Company Number
5926921 [DPRK4].
KOREA DAEBONG SHIPPING CO, Ansan
1-dong, Pyongchon-guyok,
Pyongyang, Korea, North;
Nationality of Registration
Korea, North; Company Number
5145243 [DPRK4].
KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY
(a.k.a. KUMBYOL TRADING; a.k.a.
KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY OF NORTH
KOREAN WORKERS' PARTY),
Pyongyang, Korea, North [DPRK4].
KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK TRADING
CO, Pulgunkori 2-dong,
Potonggang-guyok, Pyongyang,
Korea, North; Nationality of
Registration Korea, North;
Company Number 5787653 [DPRK4].
KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO,
Pulgunkori 1-dong,
Potonggang-guyok, Pyongyang,
Korea, North; Nationality of
Registration Korea, North;
Company Number 1414592 [DPRK4].
KOREA SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
CORPORATION (a.k.a. NAM NAM
GENERAL CORPORATION; a.k.a.
NAM-NAM (SOUTH-SOUTH)
COOPERATIVE GENERAL COMPANY),
Central District, Pyongyang,
Korea, North; China; Russia;
Poland [DPRK3].
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
KOREA (a.k.a. MARITIME
ADMINISTRATION BUREAU),
Pyongyang, Korea, North [DPRK3].
MINISTRY OF LAND AND MARITIME
TRANSPORTATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
(a.k.a. MINISTRY OF LAND AND
MARINE TRANSPORT), Korea, North
[DPRK3].
YUSONG SHIPPING CO, Uiam-dong,
Taedonggang-guyok, Pyongyang,
Korea, North; Nationality of
Registration Korea, North;
Company Number 5146578 [DPRK4].
The following vessels have been
added to OFAC's SDN List:
7-28 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8898831 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
JANG GYONG Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8203933 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO
LTD).
KANG SONG 1 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
6908096 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING
COMPANY).
KU BONG RYONG Democratic
People's Republic of Korea flag;
Vessel Registration
Identification IMO 8983404
(vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To:
KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
KUM SONG 3 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8661850 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO
LTD).
KUM SONG 5 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8661719 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO
LTD).
KUM SONG 7 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8739396 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO
LTD).
KUM UN SAN 3 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8705539 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO
LTD).
PU HUNG 1 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8703933 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
RAK RANG Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
7506118 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA DAEBONG SHIPPING CO).
RUNG RA 1 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8713457 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK
TRADING CO).
RUNG RA 2 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
9020534 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK
TRADING CO).
RUNG RA DO Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8989795 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
RYE SONG GANG 1 Democratic
People's Republic of Korea flag;
Vessel Registration
Identification IMO 7389704
(vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To:
KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
SO BAEK SAN Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8658267 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING
COMPANY).
WON SAN 2 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
9159787 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
YANG GAK DO Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
6401828 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
YU SONG 12 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
9096791 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
YU SONG 7 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8400854 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
ZA RYOK 2 Democratic People's
Republic of Korea flag; Vessel
Registration Identification IMO
8898738 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked
To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
The following deletions have
been made to OFAC's SDN List:
QASEM, Talat Fouad; DOB 02 Jun
1957; alt. DOB 03 Jun 1957; POB
Al Mina, Egypt; Propaganda
Leader of ISLAMIC GAMA'AT
(individual) [SDT].
Trump on November 20 said,
"Today, the United States is
designating North Korea as a
state sponsor of
terrorism. It should have
happened a long time ago.
It should have happened years
ago. In addition to threatening
the world by nuclear
devastation, North Korea has
repeatedly supported acts of
international terrorism,
including assassinations on
foreign soil. As we take this
action today, our thoughts to
turn to Otto Warmbier, a
wonderful young man, and the
countless others so brutally
affected by the North Korean
oppression. This
designation will impose further
sanctions and penalties on North
Korea and related persons, and
supports our maximum pressure
campaign to isolate the
murderous regime that you've all
been reading about and, in some
cases, writing about. Tomorrow,
the Treasury Department will be
announcing an additional
sanction, and a very large one,
on North Korea. This will
be going on over the next two
weeks. It will be the
highest level of sanctions by
the time it's finished over a
two-week period. The North
Korean regime must be
lawful. It must end its
unlawful nuclear and ballistic
missile development, and cease
all support for international
terrorism -- which it is not
doing." Inner City Press then
asked UN deputy spokesman Farhan
Haq if this meant the UN's World
Property Organization would stop
helping North Korea with cyanide
patents. It's just a US thing,
he said. So's this: a November
13 letter from the New York
State Department of Financial
Services cites Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi for “continuing
compliance failures in Hong
Kong, which has a 'repeat
transaction' program for certain
high risk clients in Chinese
cities bordering North Korea.
The repeat transaction program
results in not more but less
scrutiny of these clients
transactions.” The NYSDFS letter
also notes that BTMU has
processed transaction through
its New York branch for “Burmese
parties” on the OFAC sanctions
list. How did Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi react to the
New York regulator's
investigation of these issues?
It applied on October 30 to
switch to the more lax Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency
and had its application approved
in a mere week, then threw the
state regulators out of its New
York branch on Sixth Avenue. All
this just a few blocks from the
United Nations whose Security
Council, on which Japan has a
seat until the end of the year,
has imposed rounds of sanctions
on North Korea for its nuclear
weapons program, and was set to
vote
for a new UN Special Envoy on
Myanmar, or Burma, on November
16. What's going on? Now Inner
City Press can exclusively
report a further outrage, not
included in the NYSDFS letter
nor a Wall Street Journal
article which quoted it. The OCC
gave its approval in a week even
while belatedly listing Bank of
Tokyo - Mitsubishi's filings
under "THESE APPLICATIONS
APPEARED INCORRECTLY IN A PRIOR
WEEKLY BULLETIN." Photo here;
link to Bulletin here.
The public, as is the trend
under the OCC, was cut out. The
face savings compliance
agreement, here,
does not cure or address this. The OCC is lax not
only in sanctions compliance and
absurdly short comment periods
on corporate applications - it
also markets itself to banks as
being “flexible” on other
compliance issues including the
U.S. Community Reinvestment Act.
Recently the OCC announced that
even a rare less than
satisfactory CRA rating would
not bar approval of a bank's
application, click here
for that Inner City Press
coverage. A new Comptroller,
Joseph Otting formerly of
OneWest Bank, is set to be
confirmed by the U.S. Senate
this week, even while the OCC
has refused to answer a pending
Press (and CRC) request under
the Freedom of Information Act.
A lawsuit has now been filed.
What will a FOIA request into
the OCC's communications with
Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi
yield? Watch this site.
***
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