The Donald Trump administration has approved sanctions exemptions for "humanitarian aid projects for North Korea" that had been on hold.
According to government sources on the 6th, the Trump administration has decided to move forward with exemptions from sanctions that had been pending at the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee on North Korea. Cho Hyun, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is visiting the United States, proposed this to the U.S. side, and the U.S. side accepted it.
Established under Security Council Resolution 1718 in 2006, the committee oversees the implementation of sanctions on North Korea. However, because the United States has taken a negative stance on exemptions, citing the potential diversion of humanitarian aid supplies, applications by domestic civic groups for sanctions exemptions to provide humanitarian aid to the North have rarely been approved.
Some analysts say this move is aimed at improving U.S.-North Korea relations ahead of President Trump's visit to China in April. Earlier, a senior South Korean government official visiting the United States, referring to North Korea-related issues, said, "It seems there will be some new progress within a few days." The official added, however, that it was "something like a gesture that could serve as a starting point (for improving relations)," and "not up to U.S.-North Korea talks."
However, given that North Korea still shows no interest in humanitarian aid to the North, some say it remains to be seen whether this will proceed to the implementation stage.