Missile tests led to US sanctions on North Koreans, Russian

As expected, the US on Wednesday imposed its first sanctions over North Korea’s weapons programs following a series of North Korean missile launches, The sanctions targeted six North Koreans, one Russian and a Russian firm, Washington said, were responsible for procuring goods for the programs from Russia and China. The US Treasury said the steps aimed both to prevent the advancement of North Korea’s programs and to impede its attempts to proliferate weapons technologies. President Joe Biden has sought unsuccessfully to engage Pyongyang in dialogue to persuade it to give up its nuclear bombs and missiles since taking office in January last year. Under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement that the moves targeted North Korea's "continued use of overseas representatives to illegally procure goods for weapons."

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington remained committed to pursuing diplomacy with North Korea. “What we have seen in recent days, only underscores our belief that if we are going to make progress, that we will need to engage in that dialogue,” he told a regular news briefing. North Korea has conducted six ballistic missile launches since September, each of which violated UN Security Council resolutions. All ballistic missile tests by North Korean are banned under these resolutions.  It said the State Department had designated Russia-based North Korean Choe Myong Hyon, Russian national Roman Anatolyevich Alar and the Russian firm Parsek LLC for “activities or transactions that have materially contributed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or their means of delivery.”

UN resolutions ban North Korean ballistic missile and nuclear tests and impose sanctions. North Korea’s UN mission, Russia and China’s embassies in Washington and the Russian firm did not respond to requests for comment. Wednesday’s actions freeze any US-related assets of those targeted and prohibit all dealings with them.