Philippines impounds DPRK's cargo ship

MANILA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government has impounded a cargo ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Subic port, northern province of Zambales following a United Nations Security Council resolution against Pyongyang, a senior government official said Saturday.

Undersecretary Manuel Quezon of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, citing the UNSC Resolution 2270, said that DPRK's vessels, including Jin Teng, the one held in Subic, are subject to "what's called an asset freeze by UN member states."

Quoting Assistant Secretary Gary Domingo of the United Nations and Other International Organizations (UNIO) office of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), he said that in asset freeze, the Philippine Coast Guard has to impound the ship.

"That means, the crew must be eventually deported," he said, noting that a UN team might come to the country to inspect the ship.

Quezon said the Philippines will also send a report to the UN on the actions it has taken with regard to the vessel, which has 21 crew members from DPRK.

The 15-nation Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution early Wednesday imposing a raft of sanctions on the DPRK to curb the country's nuclear and missile programs after its recent nuclear test and satellite launch.