By Matthew Russell Lee, Scoop, YouTube
Now, because of today's UN secrecy, it is the North Korean government which has issued a read-out of the meetings: "the visit of Jeffrey Feltman, the undersecretary general for political affairs at the U.N., helped the communist nation and U.N. understand each other deeply, and the two sides agreed to have regular communications at various levels, according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA reported that North Korea told U.N. officials that current situation on the Korean Peninsula is due to the United States' threat and its wish to launch a nuclear attack against North Korea first. The U.N. officials responded that they will help ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula by following the U.N. Charter, which states the organization's mission of maintaining international peace and security, the KCNA added. According to the KCNA, Feltman recognized international sanctions against North Korea are having a negative influence on humanitarian aid there. He visited a children's food factory and a hospital in Pyongyang on Thursday. Feltman was expected to leave Pyongyang on a North Korean Air Koryo passenger jet to land in Beijing on Saturday."
Maybe Feltman will speak there, as he so rarely has in his more than five years at the UN. Hett has yet to speak. While SG Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not initially confirm Inner City Press noting in "his" UN Press Briefing room that Feltman's predecessor and Ban's brain Kim Won-soo visited DPRK in February 2010 and now some surmise why. The month after that visit described by both as this one should be as having been successful, North Korea sunk South Korea's Cheonan ship, killing 46. And this time? Guterres himself, typically, is avoiding the Press. But multiple sources tell Inner City Press Guterres doled out quotes to media from a major UN funder. This before he whispers again on December 15 in a Wall Street event he'll be sold for $1200 a table at. We'll have more on this. And on this: in advance of a December 11, 11:30 am North Korea human rights event announced by the US, it belatedly emerges that the UN Security Council is set to hold a procedural vote at 10 am for a human rights meeting in the Council. Inner City Press twice asked Japan's Koro Bessho, the Council's president for December, about this. The first time he said it was still being worked on. The second time, he walked away. And it was his deputy, not him, who appeared at the Council stakeout on the afternoon of December 8. Inner City Press asked a question and it was partially answered. But it was not Bessho. More on this - and on Feltman and his team's trip to North Korea. It is customary to at least disclose the identities of such a delegation. And so today Inner City Press names two others accompanying Feltman: unsurprisingly the UN Resident Coordinator in DPRK since 2015, Tapan Mishra formerly of Burma Shell Co, and surprising to some, Department of Political Affairs staffer Samuel Martell of the UK, in his position since October 2014. We'll have more on these, amid Guterres increasingly shrunk UN transparency. He banned the Press from his swearing-in of Global Communications boss Alison Smale; now he says that unlike even Ban Ki-moon, he will hold no end of the year press conference, while arranging to be sold on Wall Street for $1200 a table. This is today's UN. As to Hett, she was suggested to (or some say, planted with) Guterres by Feltman during the former's transition, and since then Hett has nearly always been at Guterres' side. For example she took an August 2017 photographof Guterres with Palestine Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah published by the UN Department of Public Information. Inner City Press exclusively quoted DPA whistleblowers that Hett reported back to Feltman all of the people Guterres was interviewing to staff up his administration. (Guterres' spokesman called the questioning despicable.) Now Hett is in North Korea, with Feltman - and Guterres excluded the Press from his December 6 swearing-in of DPI's Alison Smale, here.Guterres is sure to hype up his wor on North Korea in connection with his December 13-14 trip to Japan. But what about Hett? To some, the UN is beginning to mirror Feltman and Hett's host. On December 7 (after the UN noon briefing was canceled on December 6 to a Guterres stakeout without any questions), Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: "the meetings that Mr. Feltman's had in North Korea, but the Swedish ambassador today in front of the Security Council said that he has a report from Sweden's embassy there. Has Feltman met with any of the remaining diplomatic corps in Pyongyang? And also, can you say what the composition of his team is? Is Katrin Hett on it, and if so, is she back with DPA [Department of Political Affairs], and who else is with him? Usually people do readout who went to a place. Deputy Spokesman: No. We're not doing that at this stage. Like I said, we're waiting until he's completed his visit to be able to provide some details. And he does intend to brief both the Security Council and the press corps once he's back." On December 7, Inner City Press asked Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog when the Security Council will hear from Feltman about his visit. Skoog replied that he has a report from Sweden's embassy in North Korea - perhaps in his briefcase. Video here. Then after Japan's Koro Bessho told Inner City Press he was still working on a December 11 Security Council event on North Korea human rights, the US Mission announced a different December 11 event, 11:30 am in Conference Room 1: "On Monday, December 11, the Missions of the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom will jointly host “North Korea Human Rights: The Terrifying Experiences of Forcibly Repatriated North Korean Women.” The event will feature testimony from a North Korean survivor, who will describe her ordeals and the chilling experiences she endured when repatriated multiple times to North Korea. Michael Kirby, former Justice of the Australian High Court and former Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK, and David Hawk, former Executive Director of Amnesty International and North Korea human rights expert and author of The Hidden Gulag, will also share their perspectives." Inner City Press sought clarification from Bessho later on December 7. We'll have more on this - and on this: not on the list is The Netherlands, which Inner City Press asked at the stakeout if the Dutch will automatically take over the North Korea sanctions committee on January 1. This is not the time for lack of transparency or selective doling out of information or access. After a lull, North Korea fired a ballistic missile on November 28. US President Trump was briefed while it was still in the air, his spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said - making it a successful launch. On December 4 the UN announced that its outgoing head of Political Affairs, American diplomat Jeffrey Feltman, will travel to North Korea from December 5 to 8. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said he couldn't remember so high level a UN visit; Inner City Press pointed him to Feltman's predecessor Lynn Pascoe's visit in February 2010 with Kim Won-soo. (Inner City Press coverage here, before Dujarric evictedInner City Press for covering the UN's growing corruption.) After the briefing, Dujarric issued a note confirming the Pascoe (and Amos) trips. There is a cash (or Kash) for Kim echo Inner City Press will follow up on, for now this. But how long with Feltman even stay in this UN job he remained in for his pension to vest, having been appointed under Obama? On December 5, the UK deputy ambassador Allen said, "Mr. Feltman goes with our backing and I think he goes to represent the UN family as a whole. The SG, the Security Council is united on the DPRK, and I’m sure he will take that with him. He is a very experienced diplomat and I look forward to hearing from him when he comes back... This is a trip that’s been planned for a while. DPRK is not somewhere you jump on a plane to at short notice and hope for the best. He’s been planning this trip; it is one that he is taking and I don’t put any significance on the timing." Video here. We are still waiting for a response to our most recent email to the Mission to the UN of Japan, this month's outgoing UN Security Council President. Back on November 28 the UN Security Council had a previously scheduled 3 pm meeting about foreign terrorist fighters, and then one on North Korea at 4:30 pm on November 29. Now on November 30, Trump has spoken with South Korea's Moon Jae-inand issued this: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea for the second time since North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on November 28. The two leaders discussed next steps to respond to this most recent provocation by North Korea, including how to bring maximum pressure to bear on the regime. The presidents reiterated their strong commitment to enhancing the alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities. Both leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to compelling North Korea to return to the path of denuclearization at any cost. President Trump committed to sending a high-level delegation to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics." On November 29, USg Jeff Feltman told the Council he met with North Korea's Ambassador and expressed the deep concern of Antonio Guterres. But he and Guterres this year accepted a Kim government nominee into Feltman's Department of Political Affairs. Photos here. Typically, at the end there was a whimper, Italy's Sebastiano Cardi bragging how his country paused DPRK diplomats and saying there would be no Council statement, it had all been public. And? At 3 pm, entering the prior Security Council meeting about Lebanon, the Council's president for November Sebastiano Cardi said that no written proposal for an outcome of the meeting has been circulated. French Ambassador Francois Delattre spoke again of tightening existing sanctions. Periscope video of both, and interstitial fill, here. In the morning he said, "On North Korea, the two key words are full implementation of the existing sanctions, and there is still some margin here, and tightening of the sanctions. So we are working along these lines." Earlier on November 29 US President Trump tweeted, "Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" This gave rise to a question to UN Security Council president Sebastiano Cardi, who asked, "The President?" There was laughter. Inner City Press tweeted video here.Earlier still on November 29, the US White House announced that "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China to discuss North Korea’s latest missile launch. President Trump underscored the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime. President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization." At 12:30 pm Korean time (10:30 pm in New York), KCNA confirmed: ""Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of our Party, state and army, gave an autographic order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15 on Nov. 28, Juche 106." Now, as to November 28, the Council's outgoing president Italy says, "we will meet again at 3 pm to hold closed consultations on 1701 report (Lebanon). USG Lacroix and Deputy Special Coordinator in Lebanon Philippe Lazzarini are the confirmed briefers in consultations. At the end of this meeting, we will move to the Open Chamber to discuss the issue of nuclear non-proliferation regime in relation to Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The briefers will be Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, as Chair of the Sanctions Committee 1718." So will the Netherlands take over that Committee when they assume Italy's Council seat on January 1? Feltman gave a speech on November 28 at CFR what was supposed to be live-streamed but apparently wasn't. It ends with a whimper. Trump spoke with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and issued this read out: "President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to address North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that impacted within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The two leaders agreed that the North Korean regime’s provocative actions are undermining its security and further isolating it from the international community. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combat the North Korean threat." There will be a meeting on North Korea on November 28. This, from the US Mission to the UN: "Ambassador Haley and her counterparts from Japan and the Republic of Korea have requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to be held in the open chamber in response to North Korea’s latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Security Council session will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, November 29, around 4:30 p.m. EST." During the November 28 meeting on foreign fighters, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued this: "The United States strongly condemns North Korea’s launch of what is likely an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, indiscriminately threatening its neighbors, the region and global stability. The DPRK’s relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them must be reversed. Together the international community must continue to send a unified message to North Korea that the DPRK must abandon its WMD programs. All nations must continue strong economic and diplomatic measures. In addition to implementing all existing UN sanctions, the international community must take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic transporting goods to and from the DPRK. The United States, in partnership with Canada, will convene a meeting of the United Nations Command Sending States to include the Republic of Korea and Japan and other key affected countries to discuss how the global community can counter North Korea’s threat to international peace. Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now. The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful path to denuclearization and to ending belligerent actions by North Korea." Amid talk of increased enforcement of sanctions on North Korea - including now U.S. President Trump putting the country back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list - the US Comptroller of the Currency has "rescued" a Japanese bank from a sanctions violation investigation, see below, including Inner City Press' scoop on no-notice. North Korea responded on November 22, verbally, putting on KCNA that “by re-listing DPRK as a ‘state sponsor of terrorism,’ the U.S. openly revealed to the whole world its intention to destroy our ideology and system by using all kinds of means and methods. Our army and people are full of rage and anger toward the heinous gangsters who dared to put the name of our sacred country in this wretched list of ‘terrorism’ and are hardening their will to settle all accounts with those gangsters at any time in any way." On November 21, the US sanctioned these: The following individual has been added to OFAC's SDN List:
SUN, Sidong, Liaoning, China; DOB 11 May 1976; POB Dandong, China; Gender Male; Passport G55296890 (China) issued 15 Sep 2011 expires 14 Sep 2021; National ID No. 210623197605112215 (individual) [DPRK4].
The following entities have been added to OFAC's SDN List:
DANDONG DONGYUAN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG DONGYUAN INDUSTRIAL CO.; a.k.a. DANDONG DONGYUAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD.), No. 34-7, Zhenba Street, Zhenxing District, Dandong 118001, China; Rm 3002 No 99 3 1 Binjiang Middle Rd, Zhenxing District, Dandong, China; D-U-N-S Number 542957624 [DPRK4].
DANDONG HONGDA TRADE CO. LTD., China; Room 301, No. 1 Building, Business & Tourist Section, Dandong, Liaoning, China [DPRK4].
DANDONG KEHUA ECONOMY & TRADE CO., LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG KEHUA ECONOMIC AND TRADE CO. LTD.), China; Room 102, 1/F, Antai Garden, Zhenxing District, Dandong, Liaoning 118000, China [DPRK4].
DANDONG XIANGHE TRADING CO., LTD. (a.k.a. DANDONG XIANGHE TRADING CORPORATION; a.k.a. DANDONG XIANGHE TRADING LTD. CO; a.k.a. XIANGHE TRADE CO., LTD.), China; No. 603, 2F, Jiadi Square, Developing Zone, Dandong, Liaoning, China; Beida Rd., Pingxiang City, Chongzuo, Guangxi 532600, China; Room 703, No. 7 Building, Fangba, Yanjiang Development Zone, Dandong, China [DPRK4].
DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD, Changgyong 2-dong, Sosong-guyok, Pyongyang, Korea, North; Nationality of Registration Korea, North; Company Number 5926921 [DPRK4].
KOREA DAEBONG SHIPPING CO, Ansan 1-dong, Pyongchon-guyok, Pyongyang, Korea, North; Nationality of Registration Korea, North; Company Number 5145243 [DPRK4].
KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY (a.k.a. KUMBYOL TRADING; a.k.a. KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY OF NORTH KOREAN WORKERS' PARTY), Pyongyang, Korea, North [DPRK4].
KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK TRADING CO, Pulgunkori 2-dong, Potonggang-guyok, Pyongyang, Korea, North; Nationality of Registration Korea, North; Company Number 5787653 [DPRK4].
KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO, Pulgunkori 1-dong, Potonggang-guyok, Pyongyang, Korea, North; Nationality of Registration Korea, North; Company Number 1414592 [DPRK4].
KOREA SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION CORPORATION (a.k.a. NAM NAM GENERAL CORPORATION; a.k.a. NAM-NAM (SOUTH-SOUTH) COOPERATIVE GENERAL COMPANY), Central District, Pyongyang, Korea, North; China; Russia; Poland [DPRK3].
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (a.k.a. MARITIME ADMINISTRATION BUREAU), Pyongyang, Korea, North [DPRK3].
MINISTRY OF LAND AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (a.k.a. MINISTRY OF LAND AND MARINE TRANSPORT), Korea, North [DPRK3].
YUSONG SHIPPING CO, Uiam-dong, Taedonggang-guyok, Pyongyang, Korea, North; Nationality of Registration Korea, North; Company Number 5146578 [DPRK4].
The following vessels have been added to OFAC's SDN List:
7-28 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8898831 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
JANG GYONG Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8203933 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD).
KANG SONG 1 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 6908096 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
KU BONG RYONG Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8983404 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
KUM SONG 3 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8661850 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD).
KUM SONG 5 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8661719 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD).
KUM SONG 7 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8739396 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD).
KUM UN SAN 3 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8705539 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: DAWN MARINE MANAGEMENT CO LTD).
PU HUNG 1 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8703933 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
RAK RANG Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 7506118 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA DAEBONG SHIPPING CO).
RUNG RA 1 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8713457 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK TRADING CO).
RUNG RA 2 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9020534 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA RUNGRADO RYONGAK TRADING CO).
RUNG RA DO Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8989795 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
RYE SONG GANG 1 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 7389704 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
SO BAEK SAN Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8658267 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA KUMBYOL TRADING COMPANY).
WON SAN 2 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9159787 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
YANG GAK DO Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 6401828 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: KOREA RUNGRADO SHIPPING CO).
YU SONG 12 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 9096791 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
YU SONG 7 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8400854 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
ZA RYOK 2 Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag; Vessel Registration Identification IMO 8898738 (vessel) [DPRK4] (Linked To: YUSONG SHIPPING CO).
The following deletions have been made to OFAC's SDN List:
QASEM, Talat Fouad; DOB 02 Jun 1957; alt. DOB 03 Jun 1957; POB Al Mina, Egypt; Propaganda Leader of ISLAMIC GAMA'AT (individual) [SDT].
Trump on November 20 said, "Today, the United States is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. It should have happened a long time ago. It should have happened years ago. In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil. As we take this action today, our thoughts to turn to Otto Warmbier, a wonderful young man, and the countless others so brutally affected by the North Korean oppression. This designation will impose further sanctions and penalties on North Korea and related persons, and supports our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the murderous regime that you've all been reading about and, in some cases, writing about. Tomorrow, the Treasury Department will be announcing an additional sanction, and a very large one, on North Korea. This will be going on over the next two weeks. It will be the highest level of sanctions by the time it's finished over a two-week period. The North Korean regime must be lawful. It must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development, and cease all support for international terrorism -- which it is not doing." Inner City Press then asked UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq if this meant the UN's World Property Organization would stop helping North Korea with cyanide patents. It's just a US thing, he said. So's this: a November 13 letter from the New York State Department of Financial Services cites Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi for “continuing compliance failures in Hong Kong, which has a 'repeat transaction' program for certain high risk clients in Chinese cities bordering North Korea. The repeat transaction program results in not more but less scrutiny of these clients transactions.” The NYSDFS letter also notes that BTMU has processed transaction through its New York branch for “Burmese parties” on the OFAC sanctions list. How did Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi react to the New York regulator's investigation of these issues? It applied on October 30 to switch to the more lax Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and had its application approved in a mere week, then threw the state regulators out of its New York branch on Sixth Avenue. All this just a few blocks from the United Nations whose Security Council, on which Japan has a seat until the end of the year, has imposed rounds of sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear weapons program, and was set to vote for a new UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, or Burma, on November 16. What's going on? Now Inner City Press can exclusively report a further outrage, not included in the NYSDFS letter nor a Wall Street Journal article which quoted it. The OCC gave its approval in a week even while belatedly listing Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi's filings under "THESE APPLICATIONS APPEARED INCORRECTLY IN A PRIOR WEEKLY BULLETIN." Photo here; link to Bulletin here. The public, as is the trend under the OCC, was cut out. The face savings compliance agreement, here, does not cure or address this. The OCC is lax not only in sanctions compliance and absurdly short comment periods on corporate applications - it also markets itself to banks as being “flexible” on other compliance issues including the U.S. Community Reinvestment Act. Recently the OCC announced that even a rare less than satisfactory CRA rating would not bar approval of a bank's application, click here for that Inner City Press coverage. A new Comptroller, Joseph Otting formerly of OneWest Bank, is set to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate this week, even while the OCC has refused to answer a pending Press (and CRC) request under the Freedom of Information Act. A lawsuit has now been filed. What will a FOIA request into the OCC's communications with Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi yield? Watch this site.
