WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today sanctioned two individuals in response to North Korea’s ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery in continued violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs).
Today’s sanctions target key leaders of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs as highlighted in the recently adopted UNSCR 2397 of December 22. As a result of today’s actions, any property or interests in property of those designated by OFAC within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and transactions by U.S. persons involving the designated persons are generally prohibited.
“Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “These actions follow Friday’s United Nations Security Council Resolution, which imposed strong new sanctions on North Korea further shutting down its ability to raise illicit funds.”
SENIOR NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
OFAC sanctioned two individuals pursuant to E.O. 13687, which targets, among others, officials of the Government of North Korea and the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).
OFAC sanctioned two senior officials of the UN- and U.S.-designated WPK Munitions Industry Department (MID), Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol, who were listed in UNSCR 2397 of December 22, 2017. The MID is responsible for overseeing North Korea’s ballistic missile programs and was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State in 2010 pursuant to E.O. 13382. Kim Jong Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Korea’s ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile development.
Photo – VoA