China and Russia circulated a draft proposal to relieve some U.N. Security Council sanctions last Friday, with the two countries justifying their suggestions due to the absence of North Korean nuclear and long-range missile testing, according to a copy of the text obtained by NK Pro.

Like their Dec. 2019 pitch for sanctions relief, Beijing and Moscow again argued that UNSC resolutions are imposing unjustifiable humanitarian costs on the people of North Korea. But this time, the draft adds that the UNSC must dilute sanctions to facilitate the improvement of inter-Korean relations, a nod to South Korean