UN imposes steel ban on North Korea

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided on Wednesday, November 1, on the list of goods to be banned for export to North Korea due to the country's recent nuclear tests. The UNSC has included in the list not only items used purely for military purposes but also goods needed for the country's industrial development such as high-strength steel. The prohibition of much needed imports, including those of steel, is expected to seriously damage the North Korean economy. In mid-October, the UNSC had unanimously passed a resolution against North Korea which called on U.N. member nations to impose economic sanctions on North Korea under Chapter seven of the UN Charter.