The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation this evening issued a statement, rejecting an unfounded news report on North Korean-run businesses in Cambodia and reaffirming the Kingdom’s stance to fully comply with the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation rejects categorically the unfounded report alleging that “North Korean spy ran hotels, casinos and travel agency in Cambodia” published in NK News on 15 February 2022. As a matter of facts, Cambodia has complied with all UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, shut down all businesses and bank accounts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the country and halted granting work authorization for workers from DPRK.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), through the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations, has submitted on 20 January 2020 the country’s National Report on the Implementation of UNSC Resolutions on Sanctions on the DPRK to the Chair of the UNSC Committee established pursuant to UNSC Resolution 1718 (2006).
Cambodia has always adhered to its firm stance of supporting non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction towards the complete elimination of these weapons, underlining that “As a responsible member of the United Nations, Cambodia has completely fulfilled its international obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and has faithfully implemented the resolutions of the UNSC on sanctions on the DPRK.”
To effectively implement the requirements of the UNSC sanctions resolutions on DPRK, the MFAIC has duly informed all relevant ministries and institutions about all UNSC resolutions regarding the DPRK for taking concrete actions.
On 1 March 2018, the Royal Government of Cambodia established an inter-ministerial ad hoc working group for the inspection of all documents and the investigation of the companies and businesses of the DPRK. The inter-ministerial ad hoc working group has conducted at least nine meetings, co-chaired by the MFAIC and the Ministry of Commerce, to decide on concrete measures to be taken in compliance with various types of sanctions as prescribed in the UNSC resolutions.
As results, seven bank accounts in two different financial institutions have been closed since 2017. Cambodia has shut down all DPRK’s businesses, including restaurants and museums, operating in Cambodia. On 12 June 2019, the Ministry of Commerce has deregistered a company of the DPRK- Glory Worldwide Glow Co. Ltd. The Ministry of Commerce has searched the entities registered in its system and found that 12 entities, including Mansudae New Tech Corporation Ltd. were related to the DPRK. All of them have been deregistered on 30 December 2019. Eight restaurants have had their license deregistered and shut down on 5 December 2019.
Since 2017, Cambodia has stopped granting work authorization for workers from the DPRK. As of 30 November 2019, the government decided not to issue the extension of visas for the DPRK nationals who worked in Cambodia.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press