UN Chief, Abe to keep sanctions against North Korea

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday agreed that UN sanctions against North Korea would remain in place in order for Pyongyang to take concrete steps towards its denuclearisation.

At a joint news conference after their talks, Guterres said the UN “fully supports the negotiations taking place between the U.S. and DPRK,” towards the goal of “total denuclearisation that is verifiable, that is irreversible.”

The DPRK (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is North Korea’s official name.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” during their landmark summit in Singapore in June.

However, the deal has been criticised for lacking detail.

“We recognize it is necessary for the international community to maintain the full implementation of sanctions based on the Security Council resolutions to draw concrete action from North Korea,” Abe said.

Guterres has previously said the UN is ready to offer help in denuclearisation negotiations and monitoring if asked to do so.

The UN chief will attend Thursday’s ceremony in Nagasaki to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on the southwestern Japanese city.