While North Korea keeps firing literal and figurative salvos, the world has responded with harsher sanctions — ones that the Philippines has put into effect by detaining a ship from the reclusive East Asian nation.
The Philippine government has impounded a North Korean freighter, the Jin Teng, in Subic Bay and plans to deport its crew, presidential spokesman Manuel Quezon III said in a radio interview, according to the official Philippines News Agency.
This wouldn’t have happened if not for Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test and missile launch, and the global community’s reaction to these defiant acts.
The 15-member U.N. Security Council voted this week to impose an array of new sanctions in response to what it called “violation and flagrant disregard” of previous resolutions. Tellingly, this vote was unanimous — with not only from longtime North Korean foes such as the United States and Japan, but also Russia and China, who have been less adversarial to the regime.
Among other provisions, Resolution 2270 mandates that other countries “should inspect cargo within or transiting through their territory — including airports, sea ports and free trade zones — that was destined for or originating from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.” It also makes special mention of calling out any “evasion of sanctions” by various parties.
The Jin Teng is one of 31 vessels operated by Ocean Maritime Management, which is named in the U.N. resolution as being “subject to the asset freeze.”
Documents show that all 21 of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship’s crew are North Korean nationals.
The freighter arrived Thursday in Subic Bay, on the west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, from Indonesia with a load of palm kernels, according to state news. CNN crews saw its cargo being subsequently unloaded and put onto trucks at the port.
In addition to the U.N.-related issues, coast guardsmen also found minor safety violations like faulty emergency light bulbs, a lack of fire hoses, corroded air vents and inadequate accommodations for crew, according to Philippines Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo.
A team from the United Nations may also inspect the Jin Teng, according to Quezon. Regardless, the Philippine government will report its findings to that world body.
Kim talks of readying ‘nuclear warheads’
Such actions — this ship seizure, specifically, and stronger sanctions, generally — seemingly have done little to deter North Korea’s muscle flexing, bellicose talk and nuclear ambitions.
Several times this week, in fact, North Korea has continued and, if anything, escalated its threat to potentially deploy a nuclear weapon.
On Friday, for instance, state news agency KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country’s “nuclear warheads need to be ready for use at any time.”
“Under the extreme situation that the U.S. Imperialist is misusing its military influence and is pressuring other countries and people to start war and catastrophe, the only way for our people to protect sovereignty and rights to live is to strengthen the quality and quantity of nuclear power and realize the balance of power,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
LOL. Steal somebody’s boat and then say the “global community” told us to.
I live on this planet. I didn’t tell them to steal somebody else’s boat. Oh wait, it’s not stealin. It’s an “asset freeze.”
Kim Jong Un: “Evweything is pwoceeding according to pwan. It’s a wong and compwicated pwan. The Phirripines have fawwen wight into my twap. Steaw my boat Phirripines?? Weww say herro to my rittle nuclear fwiend!”
KAAAAABBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!
“Yeahhh!!! Fweeze those assets Phirripines!!”
How is theft from a bad man good?
There was no mention of contraband that would justify seizure.
When our politically supported side steals, it is OK.
When the political enemy steals, it is an international incident.
Reminds me of what the US was doing to Japan before Pearl Harbor. They were boarding Japanese ships in international waters — an act of war. They also imposed sanctions that incensed Japan into declaring war on the US and then attacking. Russia and China may have voted for sanctions against N.Korea out of suspicion that it was being goaded into war that might have justified Western attacks on them if they displayed unity with N. Korea. The US government is desperate for war, as the economy implodes.