Int'l sanctions on Pyongyang effective: NIS

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- The latest international sanctions on North Korea have had an adverse impact on Pyongyang's exports of natural resources and weaponry, South Korea's state intelligence agency said Friday.

North Korea's exports of coals and weaponry plunged 40 percent and 88 percent on-year, respectively, after the international community rolled out economic sanctions on the communist regime, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said during a parliamentary meeting.

The NIS was also quoted as saying by the parliament's intelligence committee that North Korea sold the right to fish in its waters to China in an estimated deal worth US$30 million this year. The deal will allow 1,500 Chinese boats to fish in the North Korean waters, it added.

"North Koreans are expressing discontent against the regime's move to sell the fishing rights (to China), which will lead to a decrease in their catches," the NIS said, adding the move will also have an adverse impact on South Korea as well.

North Korea is also seeking to sell or change the registries of its boats to overcome the recent difficulties, it added.

The NIS, however, said it believes the sanctions haven't affected the financial sector that much.

Additionally, the NIS said it expects the North to continue to test-fire missiles and use any successes as propaganda to boost the Kim Jong-un regime.

In the latest test fire of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) last month, which the North calls the Hwasong-10, one of the two missiles that were launched reached an altitude exceeding 1,000 kilometers and flew some 400 km before hitting the East Sea.

colin@yna.co.kr
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