US, Japan, South Korea Launch New Body to Monitor Sanctions on North Korea

The multilateral team will continue the work of a disbanded U.N. panel of experts who were responsible for monitoring the enforcement of the sanctions.

South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun (C) poses for photos with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell (R) and Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano (L) during their trilateral meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 16, 2024. Jung Yeon-Je/Pool via Reuters

The United States, Japan, South Korea, and eight other countries launched a new mechanism on Oct. 16 to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) was established to replace a U.N. monitoring team that was disbanded in April after Russia vetoed the renewal of its mandate, according to South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun.