On Friday 22 December, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced the adoption of additional restrictive measures by the EU on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by the EU over the next few weeks.
In a press release welcoming the UN Security Council's adoption of new sanctions against Pyongyang, the spokesperson announced: “the EU continues to consider further autonomous measures to increase the pressure on DPRK to comply with its obligations under international law. It is likely that further EU measures will be adopted in early 2018”.
According to one European source, Council working groups are expected to develop new autonomous EU sanctions over the next few days.
The new measures focus on reducing oil exports to North Korea and banning North Korean workers being sent abroad. These workers will be obliged to return to their country by the end of 2019. Sixteen close associates to Kim Jong-un have also been refused visas and have seen their assets frozen. One European source explained to EUROPE that the EU could possibly transpose individual sanctions adopted by the UN, next week.
The EEAS spokesperson warned: “The European Union will, of course, ensure the full transposition into EU law of this new Resolution… as quickly as possible. A number of the measures are already contained in existing EU autonomous sanctions”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)