S. Korea hails U.N. resolution for putting significant pressure on N. Korea

South Korea on Thursday hailed the latest United Nations resolution on North Korea for putting significant pressure on the communist country to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

   "(Seoul) assesses that a significant level of progress has been achieved," foreign ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said as Resolution 2270 passed by the United Nations Security Council hits the six month mark.

   On March 2, the U.N council approved its toughest resolution yet in response to North Korea's nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch the following month.

   The resolution has made progress in squeezing North Korea's shipping industry, diplomatic relations, personnel exchanges as well as its finances, the spokesman noted.

   "U.N. member states have been actively cooperating to implement the resolution, overhauling their legal and institutional systems for the implementation of sanctions," Cho said.

   A total of 50 U.N. member countries have submitted their implementation reports so far, and the number will continue to rise, he also said.

   With the latest U.N. resolution and subsequent independent sanctions adopted by major countries, the international community has succeeded in standing together against North Korean, the spokesman added. "The government will continue diplomatic efforts, both on bilateral and multilateral occasions, for the comprehensive and complete implementation of the resolution in order to make North Korea rethink its strategy and decide to denuclearize itself."

   A unification ministry official said China has shut down the Chinese branches of North Korean banks and banned the opening of new outlets in compliance with the U.N. resolution.

   Angola has severed all commercial transactions with North Korea in its implementation of the U.N. sanctions, the official said of global efforts.

   Jordan also revoked its permission for North Korean ships to use the Arab country under the flag of convenience system. Three other countries are planning similar actions, he said.

   In other examples, Myanmar and Germany have expelled North Korean diplomats from their countries, the official also said on the condition of anonymity.

   In line with the accelerating implementation, the foreign ministry has recently launched a special team in charge of overseeing the execution of the latest U.N. resolution.  

   The sanctions and export control team will work with different local ministries' to check compliance with the U.N. sanctions and push the international community to implement them thoroughly. (Yonhap)