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Excavations of Manwoldae

UN Security Council procedures were completed on Apr. 17 for the waiving of sanctions on the transportation of necessary equipment into North Korea for a joint inter-Korean excavation of the Goryeo-era palace site Manwoldae in Kaesong.

The UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea granted approval that day on a South Korean government request to transport equipment into North Korea to the Manwoldae excavation, foreign affairs sources reported. The list of specific equipment and/or items was not disclosed.

The UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea consists of representatives from the 15 UNSC member countries and operates on a consensus basis, which means that none of those countries objected to the waiving of sanctions. South Korean and US officials previously concluded prior discussions on the waiving of sanctions for the Manwoldae joint excavation at a working group meeting in Washington on Mar. 14.

An official also commented on US President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding food aid to North Korea at a South Korea-US summit on Apr. 11.

“His remarks do not appear to be baseless,” the official said.

Responding to speculation that Trump’s remarks referred to US$8 million in aid to North Korea that has been held up since the South Korean government committed in September 2017 to providing it through an international organization, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said they “should not be limited to the US$8 million in North Korean aid.”

“My understanding is that [related] discussions are under way in various places,” the official said.

By Park Min-hee, staff reporter

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