The North Korean Foreign Ministry described the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team as a “ghost group lacking any legality,” Anadolu Agency reported.
The monitoring team reported last week that between 35,600 and more than 100,000 North Korean workers remained in at least 17 countries, mainly China and Russia, despite UN sanctions requiring their repatriation.
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The report also said some North Korean workers in Russia were involved in manufacturing military drones.
Pyongyang defended its economic exchanges with other countries, saying such cooperation “cannot be subject to interference or investigation of a third party.”
The Foreign Ministry also vowed to “strongly counter” efforts it said were aimed at obstructing North Korea’s development and international cooperation.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team was established in October 2024 after Russia blocked the renewal of the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts responsible for monitoring sanctions on North Korea.
The monitoring team consists of 11 countries: the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The UN Panel of Experts had monitored the implementation of sanctions on North Korea since 2009. Its mandate expired on April 30, 2024, after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution in March that would have extended it for another year.
Thirteen Security Council members supported the extension, while China abstained. The UN sanctions themselves remained in force.
