The government has assessed that a new bill introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce seeking further sanctions against North Korea will be powerful and effective in cutting off all of the North’s sources of finance.
 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Cho June-hyuck told reporters on Thursday that the new bill sends a strong message to Pyongyang. Cho said the new bill is expected to make contributions toward boosting the existing system of sanctioning the North.  

Cho also said that the North must realize that the longer it continues its reckless provocations, the stronger punishment it will have to face.
 
Cho called on the North to heed the international community’s stern warnings and scrap all its nuclear and missile programs in line with UN Security Council resolutions and swiftly take the path toward denuclearization.

Jointly initiated and sponsored by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the bill enables the U.S. government to impose multipronged sanctions to cut off all financial sources Pyongyang needs to maintain its regime and develop missiles and nuclear weapons.
 
The sanctions include blocking the shipments of crude oil and petroleum products to the North and banning the employment of North Korean workers by foreign countries.

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