The US imposes sanctions on North Korea again.
The United States has just announced a new series of sanctions targeting North Korea and its weapons program.
According to the New York Times, the new sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department target companies from both North Korea and China, as well as North Korean ships and the country's Ministry of Oil.
Another target was North Korean representatives in China and Russia, who were members of the ruling Workers' Party and who helped Pyongyang trade in chemicals and equipment for weapons production.
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| Photo: KCNA |
"The U.S. Treasury Department continues to systematically target individuals and entities that finance the Kim Jong Un regime and its weapons program, including officials colluding in projects that circumvent sanctions," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
According to Secretary Mnuchin, in compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, he will also call on Russia and China to expel anyone working in those countries representing North Korean financial networks.
The new US decision comes as the White House continues to mount pressure on North Korea following a heated exchange between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un earlier this year.
The escalating tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have raised concerns about the prospect of war and led to questions about whether such an approach is the best way to de-escalate the situation.
However, in recent weeks, the American leader has suggested he may be willing to engage in direct dialogue with Chairman Kim Jong Un. He has also expressed support for improved cooperation between North Korea and South Korea.
Recently, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to have their two delegations of athletes march together under a unified flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics in February. Kim Jong Un's government also called on all North Koreans at home and abroad to promote cooperation and contact between the two Koreas.
Over the past period, the United States has systematically worked to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions by blocking the flow of funds into the reclusive nation's weapons program.
This week, Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Counterterrorism and Intelligence, traveled to Asia to discuss with officials in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul ways to prevent North Korea's money laundering and illicit financial activities.
Stopping in Hong Kong on January 24, she urged the Chinese people to do more to dismantle the shell companies that North Korea sets up in other countries to circumvent sanctions.
