On Tuesday, the US Ambassador to the United Nations went to the South-North Korea Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to increase pressure on North Korea.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone on Tuesday, becoming the first US Ambassador to the United Nations to visit South Korea since 2016. The last American official to visit this iconic location was Vice President Harris, who visited two years ago.
Earlier, Thomas-Greenfield discussed with South Korean officials ways to extend the term of the Security Council’s expert group. These experts have been monitoring North Korea’s nuclear weapons development for 15 years.
In March, Russia vetoed a US-led resolution in the Security Council to extend the expert group’s term. The group’s reports provide the Security Council with the necessary information to formulate international sanctions aimed at preventing North Korea from developing its nuclear weapons program. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s relationship with Pyongyang has been increasingly close, and Russia vetoed this decision.
Russia’s veto marks a shift in the Security Council’s policy, as it is the first time in the 15 years since the group was established that Russia has firmly opposed the Council’s authorization.
The Security Council’s divisions over the issue of the Ukraine conflict are widening, with the US alleging that Russia is trying to obtain weapons and ammunition from North Korea.
Despite research groups and a large number of satellite images released by the US showing weapons flowing from North Korea to Russia and then to arms depots near the Ukrainian border, Russia and North Korea deny these accusations.
South Korean officials said that in return for selling weapons, Russia is providing North Korea with food, raw materials, and components for weapon production, helping Kim Jong-un enhance food security and further develop its weapon systems.
Thomas-Greenfield arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day visit, including meetings with defectors. She will then travel to Japan.
The US Ambassador’s Office to the UN stated that in Japan, the US Ambassador will meet with officials to discuss the common priorities of the United Nations and listen to the opinions of Japanese citizens whose relatives have been abducted by North Korea.