all eyes on north korea
U.N. Security Council unanimously approves new sanctions against North Korea
On Monday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed to more sanctions against North Korea, following the country's sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3.
The sanctions cap North Korea's imports of refined and crude oil at 8.5 million barrels a year, and ban textile exports, which last year accounted for more than a quarter of North Korea's export income. The United States had to soften its initial resolution in order to get Russia and China on board. China, responsible for 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, is worried that if the economy there becomes too unstable, North Korean refugees will flood into China.
Previous sanctions have affected coal, iron ore, and seafood exports, and a U.S. official familiar with the new resolution told The Washington Post that more than 90 percent of North Korea's exports are now covered by sanctions.