UN votes for harsher sanctions against North Korea

The UN Security Council unanimously voted to levy tough new sanctions against North Korea on Friday, in response to the rogue nation’s latest launch of a ballistic missile that Pyongyang says could reach anywhere on the U.S. mainland. The new sanctions include sharply lower limits on North Korean oil imports, the return home of all North Koreans working overseas within 24 months, and a crackdown on ships smuggling banned items, including coal and oil, to and from the country. The resolution excluded even harsher measures the Trump administration wanted, such as banning all oil imports and freezing international assets of the government and its leader, Kim Jong Un. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said after the vote, “The unity this council has shown in leveling these unprecedented sanctions is a reflection of the international outrage at the Kim regime’s actions.” North Korea launched its 20th and most powerful missile this year on Nov. 29, adding to fears that the North will soon have a military arsenal that can viably target the U.S. mainland.