U.S. imposes sanctions on two individuals for aiding N. Korea's weapons program

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. treasury department on Tuesday designated two individuals for transporting prohibited goods to North Korea to be used in the country's missile development program.

"This action is part of the United States' ongoing efforts to limit the DPRK's ability to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs that threaten regional stability and follows numerous recent DPRK ballistic missile launches, which are in clear violation of multiple United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions," the department said in a press release.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

The two individuals -- Ri Sok and Yan Zhiyong -- are both affiliated with Air Koryo, North Korea's national flag carrier, which the treasury department said is "controlled by and integrated into the DPRK military."

The treasury department said Air Koryo previously transported parts used in Scud-B missile systems, and was designated by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"Ri Sok, an Air Koryo representative in Dandong, China, was involved in the transportation of electronic parts from China to the DPRK on behalf of the DPRK's Ministry of Rocket Industry," it said in a press release.

Yan Zhiyong is a logistics manager with Air Koryo, who helped transport goods from China to North Korea "on behalf of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the DPRK's principal intelligence agency," it added.

The nationalities of the two individuals were not immediately known.

The U.S. earlier said the North fired 59 ballistic missiles this year, each in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The U.S. move also follows the North's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, which marked its seventh ICBM test this year.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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