Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha says Seoul is in talks with Washington about imposing a possible secondary boycott on third-country companies doing business with North Korea.

Kang revealed the move on Monday to the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, during a hearing on the government’s possible measures to sanction the North following its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

She explained the way she sees it, the U.S. is seeking the strongest possible economic sanctions on the North, whether it be implemented by the UN Security Council(UNSC) or on its own.

She also speculated the U.S. will actively consider unilateral measures against the North if the current negotiations at the UNSC turn out to be unsatisfactory.

However, she said the U.S. will closely coordinate with South Korea if it decides to push for unilateral sanctions.

A secondary boycott was effectively used by Washington to help resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, and is considered one of the strongest moves the U.S. can take to induce China to rein in the North. 

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