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Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who represents the US in the United Nations, speaks to reporters at the American Diplomacy House in Seoul on April 17, 2024, during her visit to Korea. (Yonhap)

Since China and Russia oppose the formation of a new surveillance system for monitoring North Korea, the US is considering a surveillance system that operates outside the UN, America’s ambassador to the United Nations stated on Wednesday.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield held a press conference at the American Diplomacy House in Seoul’s Yongsan District on Wednesday at the conclusion of her four-day visit to South Korea. She mentioned seeking “options both inside and outside the UN system” for monitoring North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.

“I look forward to engaging with both the Republic of Korea and Japan, but like-minded [countries] as well, on trying to develop options both inside the UN as well as outside the UN,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “I think we will eventually find a mechanism to continue to do that.”

Russia rejected the annual renewal of the UN Security Council’s multinational panel of experts for monitoring sanctions on North Korea. China abstained from voting on the resolution.

The ambassador told reporters that Russia and China “will continue to try to block those efforts” to monitor North Korea’s adherence to sanctions. 

“Why? First and foremost, Russia has already been breaking the sanctions regime. They’re already engaging in trade with the DPRK,” she added, referring to North Korea by an acronym for its formal name. 

Thomas-Greenfield directly acknowledged that the more China and Russia oppose the renewal of the surveillance network, the more aggressively the US will pursue a system outside the UN led by Western nations. The UN Security Council held a vote to extend the mandate on its panel of experts on March 28, but Russia vetoed it while China abstained from voting, thereby nullifying the resolution.  

Thomas-Greenfield also mentioned the possibility of Iran providing weapons to Russia while supporting North Korea's weapons development.

“We have to look for every opportunity to call them out but also to hold them accountable,” she said.

Thomas-Greenfield arrived in South Korea on Sunday for her first official visit as Washington’s ambassador to the UN. After the press conference, she departed for Japan. 

By Shin Hyeong-cheol, staff reporter

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