The Philippines today impounded a North Korean vessel in response to new United Nations sanctions introduced in response to Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon said, the 6,830-tonne cargo ship Jin Teng will not be allowed to leave Subic port, northeast of the capital Manila, where it had been docked for three days and its crew will be deported. Quezon said, the world is concerned over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part to enforce the sanctions.
In response to the UN’s move, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-empty use at anytime. Friday, the European Union also tightened sanctions against North Korea by adding 16 individuals and 12 entities to a list of some 60 individuals and groups who were hit with travel bans and asset freezes.