SEOUL (Kyodo) -- South Korea, Japan, and the United States said Wednesday that they have launched a body to replace a U.N. panel previously tasked with monitoring the implementation of sanctions on North Korea, aimed at curbing its nuclear and missile development.

The new organization involves the participation of 11 countries that also includes France, Britain and Germany, the three countries said.

The U.N. panel of experts was established in 2009 to investigate violations of sanctions on North Korea following its second nuclear test. The panel was terminated after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution in March this year that would have extended its mandate.

Second-ranking diplomats of South Korea, Japan and the United States who met in Seoul said in a statement the organization -- the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team -- is a mechanism to "monitor and report violations and evasions of the sanction measures stipulated in the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions."

At a joint press conference, Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Masataka Okano said the three allies will work with other countries "to proceed with the full implementation of the sanctions."

"The MSMT is open to countries that have a firm commitment to implement sanctions against North Korea," said South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun, calling for broad participation from the international community.

Regarding Russia, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said it continues to "use ballistic missiles and other materials unlawfully procured from the DPRK to further its illegal assault on Ukraine," referring to the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

Russia has denied accusations from the United States and its allies that its procurement of missiles and other materials is helping Pyongyang evade sanctions.

The diplomats met a day after North Korea blew up parts of inter-Korean roads on its side of the border, further escalating already heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.