NK Diplomatic Sanctions

[Anchor Lead]

The U.S. government has been ratcheting up the pressure on North Korea in recent months and has now laid out some tough diplomatic sanctions to put on Pyongyang. The White House will likely request that U.N. member-nations sever their diplomatic ties with the North.

[Pkg]

The U.S. government is considering putting diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang in addition to economically isolating the Stalinist state.

[Soundbite] Mark Toner(Deputy spokesperson, U.S. State Department)

The United States is considering asking countries that have diplomatic ties with North Korea to crack down on the illegal transactions of North Korea's diplomatic offices, suspending diplomatic procedures with the North, and shutting down the North's diplomatic establishments. If the measures prove to lack efficiency in improving the situation, the U.S. will ask U.N. member-nations to sever their diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. Sources say U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson introduced such diplomatic sanctions to isolate Pyongyang at the latest U.N. Security Council ministerial meeting. However, he said the door for negotiations is open as long as the North shows clear signs of denuclearization. But he stressed there will be no reward for that.

[Soundbite] Susan Thornton(Acting Assistant Sec. of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs)

Washington apparently came up with diplomatic sanctions because it believes that diplomatic isolation will help fully implement the U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea.