The Philippines announced that it will impound a vessel linked to North Korea, as it becomes the first government in the world to enforce freshly passed sanctions.
The ship, which flew under the flag of Sierra Leone, is due to be impounded and the crew deported, announced Manila, after it appeared on a blacklist of vessels suspected to be operated by North Korea.
Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Charles Jose said the move was “in compliance with the UN Security Council resolution” and added that “the most important thing is to impound the vessel so it cannot engage in economic activity that could benefit North Korea”.
“The world is concerned over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part to enforce sanctions,” said a member of the president's communications team on Saturday.
The latest round of sanctions were passed by the UN in response to North Korea's fourth nuclear test and long range rocket launch this year. North Korea threatened nuclear strikes against the United States again this week, as the US and South Korea begin the largest ever joint military exercise.