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WORLD NEWSWednesday 9 March 2016
South Korea announces unilateral sanctions on North Korea
HYUNG-JIN KIM A smoke bomb explodes near a South Korean army K-1 tank during an annual exercise in Yeon- Service said the cyberat-
Associated Press cheon, near the border with North Korea. South Korea said Tuesday it is imposing unilateral sanc- tacks occurred between
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — tions on North Korea over its recent nuclear test and rocket launch. late February and early
South Korea said Tuesday it March. It didn’t say which
is imposing unilateral sanc- (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) officials’ phones were
tions on North Korea over hacked or whether the sto-
its recent nuclear test and len messages contained
rocket launch, including a any sensitive information.
ban on financial dealings The new South Korean
with 40 individuals and 30 sanctions target 38 individ-
entities. uals and 24 organizations
The announcement came in North Korea who Seoul
a day after North Korea says are responsible for
warned of pre-emptive the North’s development
nuclear strikes in response of weapons of mass de-
to the start of U.S.-South struction. A Singaporean, a
Korean military drills it views Taiwanese and six entities
as a rehearsal for invasion. in Myanmar, Thailand, Tai-
This year’s annual drills, set wan and other countries
to run until late April, are will also be sanctioned for
the largest ever. indirectly assisting North
Also Tuesday, Seoul’s spy Korea, the South Korean
agency accused North Ko- government said in a state-
rea of having hacked into ment.
the smartphones of doz- It said South Koreans will
ens of key South Korean be barred from engaging
officials, stealing text and in financial and foreign ex-
voice messages and their change dealings with the
phone call logs. blacklisted people and
The National Intelligence organizations, whose as-
serts in South Korea will be
US general: frozen.
Air Force to keep flying over South China Sea South Korea also said it will
ban the entrance of any
ROD McGUIRK waters claimed by China in nial Air Power Conference Tuesday on the country’s ship that has stopped at
Associated Press the South China Sea “or risk next week. claims to virtually all of the a North Korean port in the
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) losing it throughout the re- Robinson declined to say SouthChina Sea, saying previous 180 days. Current-
— The U.S. Air Force will gion.” how the United States Beijing won’t permit other ly only North Korean ships
continue to fly daily mis- “We’ve watched the in- would retaliate if a U.S. nations to infringe on what are banned.
sions over the South Chi- creased military capability plane was shot down by it considers its sovereign It said it will continue to ad-
na Sea despite a buildup on those islands, whether the Chinese. rights in the strategically vi- vise South Korean citizens
of Chinese surface-to-air it’s the fighters, whether it’s Several governments have tal area. not to eat at North Korea-
missiles and fighter jets in the missiles or the 10,000- conflicting claims in the Speaking to reporters at an run restaurants around the
the contested region, with foot runways. South China Sea, a major annual news conference world. North Korea oper-
both nations’ militaries in We will continue to do as conduit for world trade. in Beijing, Wang said that ates about 130 restaurants
discussions to avoid any we’ve always done, and The U.S. lays no claims to another nation’s claim to in China and other coun-
“miscalculation,” a top U.S. that is fly and sail in inter- the waters, but says it has freedom of navigation in tries.
general said Tuesday. national airspace in ac- an interest in ensuring free- the region doesn’t give it Senior South Korean official
Gen. Lori Robinson, the cordance to international dom of navigation and the right to do whatever it Lee Sukjoon told reporters
commander of the Pacific rules and norms,” Robinson overflight and non-use of wants — an apparent refer- that the restaurants are a
Air Forces, also urged oth- told reporters in Australia’s force and coercion to as- ence to the U.S., which has source of foreign currency
er nations to exercise their capital, Canberra, where sert claims. sent naval ships past reefs that is suspected of being
freedom to fly and sail in she will address the Royal Chinese Foreign Minister where China has engaged linked to the North’s de-
international airspace and Australian Air Force’s bien- Wang Yi took a hard line in island-building. velopment of weapons of
mass destruction. He did
not elaborate.
