First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun on the afternoon of Oct. 16 at the annex of Government Complex-Seoul makes an announcement on sanctions on North Korea. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Hyelin

A newly launched independent body will monitor North Korea's compliance with United Nations sanctions.

The move comes about six months since a panel of experts under the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) ended its role as such a monitor in late April this year.

To monitor and report violations of UNSC sanctions by the North, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on Oct. 16 announced the official launch of the Multilateral Sanction Monitoring Team (MSMT) with the participation of 11 countries including South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. 

The 11 member states are South Korea, the U.S., Japan, France, U.K., Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The MSMT constantly monitors any violation of UNSC sanctions by Pyeongyang and publishes regular reports on trends in North Korea.

The UNSC's 1718 Committee Panel of Experts had played the role of monitor of the North, but its activities ended in late April this year after Russia, a permanent member of the council, vetoed a resolution to extend the panel's term.

"The goal of the new mechanism is to assist the full implementation of UN sanctions on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) by publishing information based on rigorous inquiry into sanctions violations and evasions attempts," the signatory countries said in a joint statement. 

"We call on all states to join global efforts to maintain international peace and security in the face of the ongoing threats from the DPRK."

Explaining the background of the MSMT's launch, a ministry official said, "Amid discussions on alternative mechanisms, a consensus formed that North Korea's continued violations of sanctions warrants immediate resolution of the monitoring gap."

kimhyelin211@korea.kr