The UN Security Council on Friday additionally blacklisted a large number of vessels and shipping and trading firms suspected of violating UN sanctions on North Korea.

It is the largest North Korea-related blacklisting to date by the UNSC involving 27 ships, 21 firms and one individual for 49 new listings.

The move draws attention as it comes amid a flurry of diplomatic solutions unfolding to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue.

According to a press release by the Security Council, 25 of the 27 newly blacklisted vessels will face an asset freeze and a ban on entering ports of UN member nations.

Thirteen of the 25 are North Korean while the other 12 are foreign-flagged.

Two other North Korean ships out of the 27 are only slapped with an asset freeze.

The 21 shipping and trading firms are also subject to a freeze of assets.

Twelve of them are North Korean, three are based in Hong Kong, two in China and the others are registered in Singapore, Samoa, the Marshall Islands and Panama.

The sanctioned individual, a Taiwanese businessman, is known to have been involved in illegal trading of North Korean coal and oil.

[Photo : ]