Anchor: South Korea has imposed additional sanctions on eight North Korean individuals linked to the regime’s arms trade and illicit cyber activities in response to Pyongyang's missile launch last week. The sanctions included the head of the North’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, the state intelligence agency behind the country’s major cyberattacks.

Max Lee reports.

Report: The South Korean government has imposed unilateral sanctions on eight North Korean individuals, including the head of the regime’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, Ri Chang-ho.

The latest round of sanctions on Wednesday came in response to the North’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on December 18, and is the second set of sanctions this month.

The foreign ministry explained that the eight people subject to the latest sanctions were all involved in financing the regime’s nuclear and missile programs by trading for materials needed to produce such weapons. 

The ministry pointed out that Ri was added to the list for leading the intelligence agency that oversees North Korea’s major cyberattacks by hacking groups like Kimsuky, Lazarus and Andariel.

Also included in Seoul’s latest sanctions is Park Young-han, the chief of Beijing New Technology who is accused of handling arms deals for Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, which is responsible for exports of conventional weapons and the supply of equipment for ballistic missiles.

Former third secretary at the North Korean Embassy in China, Yun Chol, as well as five people from Pan Systems Pyongyang, an arms dealer under the Reconnaissance General Bureau, were also subject to the sanctions.

The arms dealer was detected to have attempted to evade international sanctions by selling North Korean weapons to countries in Africa through a front company.

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has so far imposed fourteen sanctions, twelve of which were unilaterally imposed.

The sanctions have so far targeted 83 North Korean individuals and 53 institutions.

The foreign ministry stressed that sanctions are intended to clearly demonstrate to Pyongyang that its provocations “will come with a price,” adding that close cooperation with the international community including the U.S. and Japan, will continue until the North comes to the table for dialogue.
Max Lee, KBS World Radio News.