UN panel to visit Seoul to discuss N. Korean sanctions

A U.N. panel monitoring the implementation of sanctions on North Korea will visit South Korea this week to discuss nuclear and missile threats from the communist country, government sources said Monday.

The panel will be in the country from Monday until Friday and hold meetings with key policymakers on a wide range of issues related to the North, according to the sources familiar with diplomatic matters.

It is tasked with monitoring implementation of sanctions imposed on the North by the U.N. to punish the country for its missile and nuclear tests. The panel consists of experts in nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, finance, aviation and others.

During the visit of the panel made up of 4-5 experts, it will also touch on the North's submarine-launched ballistic missile test carried out late last week, the sources said.

Seoul's officials are expected to use the visit as a chance to share their opinions on the North's violation of the sanctions and discuss global cooperation on their faithful enforcement, they added.

ass=MsoNormal>In line with the efforts, the South Korea government will create a task force within the Coast Guard to take charge of the crackdown efforts around the NLL.

It will confiscate boats and scrap them, while taking the captain into custody.

It will also raise the arrest deposit, or the money that the boat owner has to pay to the South Korea authorities for a release, to 300 million won ($260,000) from 200 million won starting from September.

The government also said it will establish an additional 80 artificial underwater facilities worth 8 billion won to fend off Chinese boats from reaching the west coast of the country.

It has spent 2 billion won to build 18 such artificial reefs to counter illicit Chinese fishing for the past four years. (Yonhap)