The European Union has blacklisted additional 21 entities and one person as part of the international restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). These sanctions include a travel ban, an asset freeze for individuals and asset freeze for entities. The EU has also transposed the asset freeze targeting 15 ships, the port entry ban on 25 ships and the de-flagging of 12 vessels. The measures were introduced on Pyongyang in response to its nuclear program and ballistic missile development activities. Both breach numerous resolutions by the United Nations Security Council.
The new set of sanctions brings the total number of persons and entities subject to restrictive measures against the DPRK to 80 persons and 75 entities as listed by the United Nations (UN). Moreover, 55 persons and 9 entities have been blacklisted by the EU independently from the UN. EU foreign ministers have recently discussed the situation in the Korean peninsula with the South Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha, in light of the announced meeting between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. The US and North Korea have been since then holding secret talks to prepare for the summit.
Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kum Jong Un to meet Donald Trump, some officials claim that Pyongyang has acknowledged Mr. Trump’s acceptance and confirmed that the North Korean leadership is ready to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The White House is not very open to the option of the summit taking place in Pyongyang, which would be North Korea’s preference. Therefore, the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar has been proposed as an alternative.
The Europeans have also embraced South Korea’s efforts to de-escalate tensions in the peninsula and improve Korea-Korea relations by creating the conditions needed to drive a diplomatic solution whose aim is the ultimate, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
