North Korea held an inauguration ceremony for a livestock farm on Feb. 2, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Feb. 3. (KCNA-Yonhap)


Seventeen humanitarian aid projects for North Korea that had been pending at the United Nations have received sanctions exem 릴게임방법 ptions with the backing of the Donald Trump administration, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said Friday, in what officials describe as a potential opening for renewed engagement with Pyongyang.
쿨사이다릴게임 The New York-based UN Security Council’s 1718 Sanctions Committee reached a unanimous decision Thursday to approve the waivers for projects led by South Korea, the US and international organi 릴게임몰메가 zations, the diplomatic source, who requested anonymity, said Friday.
The official reiterated Seoul’s longstanding position on humanitarian aid.
“The government has consistently ma 바다신게임 intained that humanitarian assistance to North Korea should continue regardless of political conditions,” the official, requesting anonymity, said. “We have made various efforts to ensure such support 바다이야기게임사이트 can be carried out smoothly, and we hope North Korea will respond positively to this latest decision.”
The decision followed consultations in Washington involving Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (local time), and after a senior South Korean official hinted earlier that a “new development” related to North Korea could emerge within days.
According to the source, the US moved forward with the exemptions at Seoul’s request during Cho’s visit to Washington. The projects had been on hold within the 1718 Committee for months.
The approved exemptions cover 17 humanitarian initiatives: five projects led by South Korean local governments and civic groups; eight by international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization; and four by nongovernmental organizations from the United States and other countries.
Each initiative is an extension of previously approved humanitarian programs, largely aimed at renewing waiver periods. They focus on strictly humanitarian areas, including health care, clean water, sanitation and nutritional support for vulnerable populations, with each project valued at several hundred thousand dollars. Projects involving South Korean entities include ongoing efforts led by Gyeonggi Province and domestic nongovernmental organizations.
The exemptions resolve projects that had been procedurally stalled for up to nine months since the first half of last year. Actual implementation, however, will depend on whether North Korea accepts the assistance, observers noted.
The 1718 Committee, established under UN Security Council Resolution 1718 following North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006, oversees sanctions enforcement on Pyongyang and can grant exemptions for humanitarian activities when necessary. It introduced guidelines in 2018 to streamline related procedures.
Washington had previously taken a cautious stance on approving such exemptions, citing concerns that aid could be diverted to support the North Korean regime. The latest decision is seen by some analysts as a humanitarian gesture that could help create diplomatic momentum amid broader efforts to reengage Pyongyang.
The move also comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in April, drawing attention to whether Seoul’s envisioned role as a facilitator for dialogue on the Korean Peninsula could gain traction.
Earlier in Washington, a senior South Korean government official, requesting anonymity, told reporters Thursday that a North Korea-related development could emerge in the coming days.
“It will not be anything dramatic, but rather a gesture that could serve as a starting point for improving relations with North Korea,” the official said, adding that it does not signal imminent US-North Korea dialogue.
Diplomatic sources noted that Pyongyang’s refusal to engage in talks with Washington remains firm and that the situation requires close monitoring.
The sources added that Cho, during his talks with Rubio, explained Seoul’s efforts to encourage North Korea to return to the negotiating table, particularly ahead of Trump’s upcoming China visit, and requested US cooperation.
Cho and Rubio also shared assessments of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and discussed ways to create conditions for dialogue while maintaining their shared goal of denuclearization, peace and stability, according to sources.