ⓒYONHAP News

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan made back-to-back announcements of sanctions against North Korean entities and individuals linked to the regime's nuclear and missile development. The trilateral coordination is an apparent effort to maximize the efficacy of a global push to restrain Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons development amid a lack of progress by the United Nations Security Council(UNSC).

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan introduced simultaneous new sanctions against North Korea on Friday, reflecting their united front to clamp down on the regime's repeated provocations.

This comes as permanent members China and Russia fiercely opposed further restrictive action against North Korea within the UN Security Council. Washington's call for the Council's presidential statement censuring North Korea was met with a tepid response.

Early Friday, the U.S. first designated three high-ranking officials of the North's ruling Workers' Party for their involvement in the regime's development of weapons of mass destruction and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Seoul then followed up by expanding its blacklist, adding eight North Korean individuals and seven agencies linked to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development as well as its evasion of sanctions.

Tokyo, for its part, named three new agencies and one individual.

The three countries' simultaneous announcements are apparently aimed at drawing the international community's attention and maximizing the efficacy of a global clampdown.

The designations by the three allies also intersect and overlap with each other, which will likely make it more challenging for the North to dodge restrictions.

The three sides are reportedly mulling over the introduction of further sanctions targeting Pyongyang's shipping and cyber industries, as they suspect the regime is injecting profits from illicit cyber activities into nuclear and missile development.