New US-led sanctions monitoring team unlawful: N. Korea

Team set up after Russia rejects annual renewal of UN panel overseeing sanctions

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SEOUL - North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said a new, multilateral sanctions monitoring team led by the US was "utterly unlawful and illegitimate", state media reported on Oct 20.

The US, South Korea and Japan on Oct 16 announced the launch of a new multinational team to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea, after Russia and China thwarted monitoring activities at the UN.

The team was introduced after Russia in March rejected the annual renewal of a UN panel of experts that had, over the past 15 years, overseen the implementation of sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. China, North Korea's chief ally and economic lifeline, abstained from the vote.