South Korea has imposed independent sanctions on four Russian vessels and eight North Koreans for engaging in illicit weapons and fuel trade and other activities in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
The sanctions also include five entities, including North Korea’s Missile Administration, which is responsible for the latest missile launch on Wednesday that Seoul claims was a failed test, the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry noted that the latest move is in response to a military pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Pyongyang on June 19. This pact calls for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other “with all means” at their disposal and “without delay” if either of the two countries is invaded or enters a state of war.
The four Russian vessels were involved in supplying refined oil to North Korea through ship-to-ship transfers, a
critical resource for North Korea’s development of nuclear and missile armaments.
Such activity violates UNSC sanctions, specifically Resolution 2397 adopted in December 2017, which bans the supply, sale and transfer of luxury items to North Korea.
The sanctioned vessels will require special approval from South Korean port authorities if they wish to enter a South Korean port.
Other entities include Russia-based M Leasing LLC, responsible for weapons trading between Moscow and Pyongyang, and Euromarket, located in Georgia, which has been selling Russian oil to North Korea.
The sanctions also target eight North Koreans, all of whom are involved in developing and managing missiles within North Korea’s Missile Administration, according to the ministry.
Han Kum-bok and Kim Chang-rok are involved in missile development within the agency, while Choi Chol-ung and Ma Chol-wan have been engaged in missile operations. Notably, Choi accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia last September.
Ryu Sang-hun
, an official spearheading a program to develop a spy satellite, was also responsible for the country’s successful launch of a military spy satellite in November 2023.
The other three North Koreans are involved in the development of ballistic missiles, the ministry said.
Financial and foreign exchange transactions with the sanctioned entities and individuals will require prior approval.
Source: Yonhap News Agency