North Korea fires missiles into the sea in defiant message to U.N.
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has fired several short-range projectiles into the sea, reports South Korea's Defense Ministry. This move comes just hours after the United Nations slapped sanctions on the hermit nation for its recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.
Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reports that six missiles were fired a distance of about 100-150km from shore.
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The sanctions, unanimously approved by the U.N. Security Council, are the toughest against North Korea in 20 years and aim to cut off funds to the North's nuclear and weapons programs.
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The resolution bans the export of coal, iron and iron ore being used to fund North Korea's nuclear or ballistic missile programs, but not for general economic use. It prohibits all exports of gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore and rare earth minerals and bans aviation fuel exports to the country, including "kerosene-type rocket fuel."
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said it's estimated that the DPRK earns approximately $1 billion annually from coal — a third of its export income — and at least $200 million a year from iron ore exports.
In the financial and banking sector, countries are required to freeze the assets of companies and other entities linked to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
The resolution also prohibits all countries from opening new branches, subsidiaries and representative offices of North Korean banks, and bans financial institutions from establishing new joint ventures or establishing or maintaining correspondent relationships with these banks. It orders countries to close all North Korean banks and terminate all banking relationships within 90 days.
The resolution stresses that the new measures are not intended to have "adverse humanitarian consequences" for civilians, the majority of whom face economic hardships and food shortages.
North Korea's six missile tests and four nuclear tests have cost at least $4 billion.
South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Oh Joon said North Korea's six missile tests and four nuclear tests, according to some estimates, have cost at least $4 billion. Meanwhile, he said, the U.N. is spending a little over $100 million annually on humanitarian aid to the country.
"It pains all of us to think about how the regime has been developing weapons while people were starving, how the human potential has been wasted away in North Korea," Oh said.
The United States and China, North Korea's traditional ally, spent seven weeks negotiating the new sanctions.
A total of 212 South Korean lawmakers voted for the bill and 24 others abstained in the floor vote. It becomes law when it is endorsed by the Cabinet Council, considered a formality.
North Korea's state media has warned that enactment of the law would result in "miserable ruin."
Additional reporting by Mashable.
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Topics United Nations
Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
