US, South Korea issue fresh North Korea sanctions

• The United States and South Korea on 23 May announced new North Korea sanctions related to thousands of IT workers, many operating in China and Russia, whose labors allegedly help fund weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, they said.
• One individual, Kim Sang Man, and the North Korea-based Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company were sanctioned jointly by the United States and South Korea in relation to their IT worker activities, U.S. Treasury Department said.
• South Korea’s foreign ministry separately announced new sanctions on seven individuals and three entities, including Kim and the IT company, Chinyong.
• North Korea oversees thousands of IT workers around the world, primarily located in China and Russia, Treasury said. These workers “generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.”
• The workers hide their identities, locations, and nationalities and use forged documentation to apply for jobs, it said. They have secretly worked in a variety of positions and industries, including the fields of “business, health and fitness, social networking, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle,” the Treasury Department said.
• South Korea’s foreign ministry said the latest announcement demonstrates joint efforts with the U.S. to block North Korea’s malicious revenue generation through illicit cyber activities.

External Link : https://www.reuters.com/world/us-issues-fresh-north-korea-sanctions-treasury-department-website-2023-05-23/