According to Xinhua News Agency, the Korean Ski Association issued a statement on the 24th expressing dissatisfaction with Switzerland’s refusal to export ski equipment to North Korea.
Ban on exporting “cable car equipment”
KCNA cited the statement as reporting that the construction of the Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea has entered its final stages, yet “certain countries” have, citing United Nations sanctions, prohibited the export of “cable car equipment” needed for the resort. North Korea initially did not believe that the UN sanctions included such equipment, as relevant resolutions state that items needed for economic development and people’s livelihoods are not subject to sanctions. “This is a blatant violation of the UN Charter.”
Switzerland: Luxury goods are within the scope of sanctions
The Swiss company Bartholet Maschinenbau had almost agreed to sell mechanical chairlifts and cable cars to North Korea. However, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said on the 19th of this month that it had halted the deal — believed to be worth 7 million Swiss francs — after Switzerland expanded its sanctions against North Korea in July. The expanded sanctions include a ban on exporting luxury goods to North Korea, such as sports equipment for golf, equestrianism, and water sports.
Switzerland’s Le Temps also reported on the 19th that Doppelmayr, the world’s leading producer of ski lifts, refused the North Korean order “for political reasons.” The French company Pomagalski made the same decision.
The Korean Ski Association said the Masikryong Ski Resort aims to provide the public with “a highly civilized and joyful living condition, allowing them to enjoy all blessings.”
“The cable car equipment needed for the ski resort cannot make missiles or nuclear weapons,” the statement said. “If the governments of certain countries believe that ordinary North Korean citizens should not be allowed to use this ski resort, it would be an unforgivable insult to North Korea’s social system and its people.”