U.N. powers agree draft sanctions on N.Korea
Reuters
06/10/2009
UNITED NATIONS -- The five permanent Security Council members, Japan and non-council member South Korea on Wednesday agreed on the text of a draft U.N. resolution that would expand sanctions against North Korea for its recent nuclear test and weapons program, a diplomat said.
The draft resolution will be discussed at a meeting of the full 15-nation Security Council at 4 p.m. British time with a vote expected on Friday, the diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The United States and Japan have pushed for strong sanctions to punish North Korea for its nuclear test in May, but China and Russia have been cautious about provoking Pyongyang by imposing more sanctions.
Two diplomats from among the Security Council's five permanent members said Tuesday night they believed China had agreed with the U.S.-drafted text of a resolution within the last 24 hours, but Russia had raised new concerns.
Russia holds a veto in the council and had some concerns about sanctions.
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Russia has info on NKorea missile launch plan
AFP
06/10/2009
MOSCOW – The Russian military has information about a planned ballistic missile launch by North Korea, a senior military source was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
"We have certain information on the type and characteristics of the rocket. However there is no precise information on the timing of its launch," the source in Russia's General Staff told Interfax.
He added that Russia would be monitoring the launch. It was unclear whether he was referring to a short- or long-range missile.
US and South Korean officials have said there are signs that the reclusive Communist state may also be preparing to test-fire a long-range missile.
Tensions have been running high since Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket in April, tested a nuclear bomb in May, then launched a series of short-range missiles and renounced the truce that ended the Korean War in 1953.
Russia has a short border with North Korea and is part of the six-party negotiations aimed at convincing the country's isolated Communist regime to give up its nuclear programme.
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Seoul Tells U.S. About N.Korea's Foreign Bank Accounts
Chosun Ilbo
06/10/2009
South Korea has told the U.S. what it knows about some 10 to 20 foreign bank accounts North Korea holds and which are possibly connected with illegal transactions or money laundering.
A government official said Seoul "gave the U.S. information on some of the North Korean bank accounts which South Korean enterprises or civic groups engaged in projects in the North have used when remitting money." He said the accounts are suspected of being used in transactions related to counterfeiting foreign currencies, drug dealing and money laundering, he added. He said most of these accounts are in Chinese banks, and some in Switzerland and elsewhere.
That suggests the U.S. has started preparations for financial sanctions on the North. The U.S. apparently also asked other countries with dealings with the North for cooperation.
South Korean intelligence authorities are believed to know the names and bank accounts of North Korean companies disguised as trading firms which are suspected of dealing with high-quality dollar forgeries, the so-called "supernotes," or drugs.
Meanwhile, North Korea is also apparently bracing itself for international financial sanctions by opening borrowed-name accounts overseas.
South Korea last week slapped financial sanctions on three North Korean companies. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said it imposed sanctions on three North Korean companies on June 1 in compliance with a UN Security Council decision after the North launched a long-range rocket in April. The sanctions ban domestic companies to deal with these North Korean firms, whose assets here are now frozen.
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