Anchor: South Korea has slapped its eleventh round of unilateral sanctions on a North Korean entity and related officials involved in drone development and illicit financing of the regime's weapons of mass destruction programs. The U.S. also added names to its sanctions list as the two countries responded to Pyongyang's persistent provocations.
Kim So-yon has more.

 
Report: South Korea announced on Friday it imposed sanctions on North Korean firm Ryukyong Program Development and five related individuals including the company’s chief, Ryu Kyong-chol.

The government believes the firm helped fund North Korea's nuclear and missile programs through involvement in the development of key drone technologies and sending IT personnel overseas.

Friday’s sanctions are the eleventh applied unilaterally by Seoul against Pyongyang and affiliates since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office, with a total of 54 individuals and 51 agencies added to the sanctions list since last October.

Prior approval is needed to conduct financial transactions with those subject to sanctions, and violators will face punishment.

The foreign ministry also noted that South Korea is the first country to sanction the company and individuals, demonstrating its unyielding resolve to lead global efforts to prevent the North from developing satellites and drones, evading sanctions, and engaging in other activities to finance its nuclear and missile programs.

Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions on two individuals, a North Korean and a Russian as well as a firm owned by one of the two for directly supporting revenue generation for North Korean organizations linked to the unlawful development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

In the wake of Pyongyang's failed satellite launch last week, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan had expressed plans to review unilateral sanctions.

The two nations’ simultaneous sanctions reflect their efforts to further crack down on North Korea’s weapons development and illicit deals to fund its program amid a stalemate within the UN Security Council to address the issue.
Kim So-yon, KBS World Radio News.