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A U.S. request for South Korea to fall in line behind financial sanctions on North Korea over the country¡¯s alleged financial crimes has fallen on deaf ears here.
In a statement on Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul summed up discussions between U.S. Treasury investigators and Korean officials on Monday. It said the team asked for support from the global community in putting pressure on North Korea and stressed Washington had no intention of lifting its sanctions against North Korean firms it accuses of funneling gains from illegal activities.
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Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon takes questions from reporters on Tuesday./Yonhap
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The investigators said the North Korean regime played in active part in counterfeiting U.S. dollars and money laundering - a remark that is being read as re-confirmation that the U.S. will not sweep the matter under the carpet by blaming individual North Korean businesses or organizations.
The embassy said the team¡¯s Asia tour aims ¡°to explain how the U.S. is working to warn financial institutions of global financial threats¡± including the North¡¯s wrongdoings and ask the Korean government to take similar measures. The team has since last week stropped off in Macau, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Washington told Seoul ¡°practical steps¡± are needed so that financial institutions such as Banco Delta Asia, which it has singled out as the North¡¯s main money-laundering channel, cannot become ¡°a breeding ground¡± for the North¡¯s illegal activities.
But Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told reporters the same day the Korean government needs to take no further steps. ¡°The nation¡¯s financial regulations provide appropriate legal means to conduct investigations and take necessary steps when illegal money laundering or suspected transactions by those connected with terrorist activities occur,¡± a ministry official said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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