New US-South Korea task force aims to disrupt illicit North Korea oil imports

The United States and South Korea have launched a new Enhanced Disruption Task Force (‘EDTF’), aimed at countering illicit oil imports by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (‘DPRK’) in excess of quantities allowed under UN sanctions, including from Russia.

At the 26 March inaugural meeting of the task force, ‘The two sides discussed how DPRK imports of refined petroleum in excess of the UN-mandated cap violate UN Security Council resolutions and support the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs,’ the US State Department said. ‘The United States and South Korea ‘underscored the need for close collaboration to disrupt the DPRK’s ability to illicitly procure excess petroleum, including petroleum from Russia, as this activity directly contributes to the DPRK’s military readiness and the development of its weapons programs,’ it added.

Through the task force the US and South Korea ‘are pursuing a wide range of joint actions to disrupt DPRK refined oil procurement networks, including by exposing DPRK sanctions evasion activities, reviewing options for autonomous sanctions designations, and engaging private sector and third-party actors throughout the region who facilitate – either knowingly or unwittingly – the DPRK’s oil procurement networks,’ State explained.

It reported that the two sides also discussed future areas of focus, including ‘disrupting the DPRK’s illicit overseas coal sales.’

UN sanctions imposed over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs limit Pyongyang’s annual oil imports to 4 million barrels of crude and 500,000 barrels of refined products.

https://www.state.gov/launching-the-u-s-rok-enhanced-disruption-task-force/