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WASHINGTON: After Pyongyang’s most recent and biggest intercontinental ballistic missile launch last month, the United States, South Korea, and Japan placed penalties on North Korean officials involved in the nation’s weapons programs.
On Thursday, the US Treasury Department identified the people as Jon Il Ho, Yu Jin, and Kim Su Gil, who were all singled out by the EU for penalties back in April.
Sanctions on eight businesses and seven more people, including a Singaporean and a Taiwanese, were issued by South Korea’s foreign ministry. According to the government, all are already subject to penalties put in place by the US between January 2018 and October 2022.
Recent attempts to increase United Nations sanctions have been thwarted by China and Russia, who argue that doing so would damage the humanitarian situation and would be counterproductive. Washington is now free to concentrate on trilateral initiatives with South Korea, Japan, and European allies.
The most recent penalties come after North Korea conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test on November 18 as part of a record-breaking string of over 60 missile launches this year, and amid worries that it may soon begin nuclear weapons testing, which has been halted since 2017.
According to a Treasury statement, Jon Il Ho and Yu Jin, who were deputy directors and directors of the North Korean Munitions Industry Department, respectively, played significant roles in the development of weapons of mass devastation.
