07-16-2009, 09:59 PM
North Korea Officials Sanctioned by UN for Travel, Nuke Program
By Bill Varner
July 17 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations Security Council barred five North Korean officials from leaving their country and ordered their foreign assets frozen as punishment for working on nuclear weapons and missiles.
The officials include Ri Je-Son, director of the General Bureau of Atomic Energy, the lead agency that has been working to develop North Korea’s nuclear arms. The agency itself is one of five entities, including Iran-based Hong Kong Electronics, whose foreign assets are also being frozen.
The Security Council agreed in negotiations during the past month on the officials, companies and two missile-building materials that are subject to sanctions activated after North Korea set off a second nuclear bomb in May, following a 2006 test blast. All UN member nations are required to prohibit the officials from entering and are to freeze any assets in their territories.
“We have full confidence this will have a major impact,” Yukio Takasu, Japan’s ambassador to the UN, told reporters. “The individuals are closely involved and responsible for these programs. They are very senior.”
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the steps would “constrain” North Korea from efforts to fund its nuclear weapons program.
The accord followed China’s acquiescence to the first designation of government officials subject to the travel ban and asset measure. Takasu said it was important that China and Russia, which border North Korea, agreed to the lists.
‘Unified Stance’
“The international community has presented a unified stance to show that there are consequences to North Korea’s actions,” Wi Sung Lac, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, said in a telephone interview. “Of course we will make more effort to continue dialogue with North Korea and resume talks on denuclearization.”
The other companies are Namchongang Trading Corp., Korea Kyoksin Trading Corp. and Korean Tangun Trading Corp. The other officials are Namchongang Director Yun Ho-Ji; Ri Hong-Sop, former head of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center; Hwang Sok- Hwa, a top official in the General Bureau of Atomic Energy; and Korea Ryongakan General Trading Corp. Director Han Yu-Ro.
Namchongang is alleged to have procured Japanese vacuum pumps and aluminum tubes used to enrich uranium, a key step in developing nuclear weapons.
Bank Transfers
The Security Council said Hong Kong Electronics, listed as based at Kish Island in Iran, has “transferred millions of dollars” to Tanchon Commercial Bank and Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., both subject to sanctions by Security Council agreement in April. Some of the money has come from Iran, the council said.
Korean Tangun Trading Corp. is said to be “primarily responsible for the procurement of commodities and technologies to support” North Korea’s defense research and development program, including previously banned materials, the Security Council said.
The U.S. imposed sanctions two weeks ago on Hong Kong Electronics and Namchongang Trading Corp.
The designated materials are a form of graphite and Kevlar fiber used to build missiles.
The Security Council last month adopted a new resolution to punish North Korea for its May 25 nuclear bomb test and missile launches. The measure seeks to curb loans and money transfers to the communist nation and step up inspection of cargoes suspected of containing material that might contribute to the development of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles.
Sanction Targets
The text, adopted unanimously on June 12, called for the sanctions committee to designate additional entities, goods and persons as subject to the sanctions. The panel was given until July 19 to agree on the new targets of the sanctions.
The further measures place North Korea’s “trading activity under close scrutiny and include important measures to clamp down on” the communist nation’s “proliferation activities and thereby the means with which it funds and develops” its nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs, British Ambassador John Sawers said in a statement.
Sanctions were imposed in April on two North Korean companies and a bank, and the council said then that the government in Pyongyang was barred from acquiring items designated by the Missile Technology Control Regime, a coalition of 34 nations to curb proliferation of missile technology. That was the first enforcement of the 2006 resolution.
North Korea was condemned by the Security Council after the government in Pyongyang launched several missiles earlier this month in defiance of the UN resolutions. North Korea fired four short- or medium-range missiles on July 2 and seven on July 4.
To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner at the United Nations at wvarner@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: July 16, 2009 21:58 EDT
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2...L1nGtzNUQ#
By Bill Varner
July 17 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations Security Council barred five North Korean officials from leaving their country and ordered their foreign assets frozen as punishment for working on nuclear weapons and missiles.
The officials include Ri Je-Son, director of the General Bureau of Atomic Energy, the lead agency that has been working to develop North Korea’s nuclear arms. The agency itself is one of five entities, including Iran-based Hong Kong Electronics, whose foreign assets are also being frozen.
The Security Council agreed in negotiations during the past month on the officials, companies and two missile-building materials that are subject to sanctions activated after North Korea set off a second nuclear bomb in May, following a 2006 test blast. All UN member nations are required to prohibit the officials from entering and are to freeze any assets in their territories.
“We have full confidence this will have a major impact,” Yukio Takasu, Japan’s ambassador to the UN, told reporters. “The individuals are closely involved and responsible for these programs. They are very senior.”
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the steps would “constrain” North Korea from efforts to fund its nuclear weapons program.
The accord followed China’s acquiescence to the first designation of government officials subject to the travel ban and asset measure. Takasu said it was important that China and Russia, which border North Korea, agreed to the lists.
‘Unified Stance’
“The international community has presented a unified stance to show that there are consequences to North Korea’s actions,” Wi Sung Lac, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, said in a telephone interview. “Of course we will make more effort to continue dialogue with North Korea and resume talks on denuclearization.”
The other companies are Namchongang Trading Corp., Korea Kyoksin Trading Corp. and Korean Tangun Trading Corp. The other officials are Namchongang Director Yun Ho-Ji; Ri Hong-Sop, former head of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center; Hwang Sok- Hwa, a top official in the General Bureau of Atomic Energy; and Korea Ryongakan General Trading Corp. Director Han Yu-Ro.
Namchongang is alleged to have procured Japanese vacuum pumps and aluminum tubes used to enrich uranium, a key step in developing nuclear weapons.
Bank Transfers
The Security Council said Hong Kong Electronics, listed as based at Kish Island in Iran, has “transferred millions of dollars” to Tanchon Commercial Bank and Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., both subject to sanctions by Security Council agreement in April. Some of the money has come from Iran, the council said.
Korean Tangun Trading Corp. is said to be “primarily responsible for the procurement of commodities and technologies to support” North Korea’s defense research and development program, including previously banned materials, the Security Council said.
The U.S. imposed sanctions two weeks ago on Hong Kong Electronics and Namchongang Trading Corp.
The designated materials are a form of graphite and Kevlar fiber used to build missiles.
The Security Council last month adopted a new resolution to punish North Korea for its May 25 nuclear bomb test and missile launches. The measure seeks to curb loans and money transfers to the communist nation and step up inspection of cargoes suspected of containing material that might contribute to the development of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles.
Sanction Targets
The text, adopted unanimously on June 12, called for the sanctions committee to designate additional entities, goods and persons as subject to the sanctions. The panel was given until July 19 to agree on the new targets of the sanctions.
The further measures place North Korea’s “trading activity under close scrutiny and include important measures to clamp down on” the communist nation’s “proliferation activities and thereby the means with which it funds and develops” its nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs, British Ambassador John Sawers said in a statement.
Sanctions were imposed in April on two North Korean companies and a bank, and the council said then that the government in Pyongyang was barred from acquiring items designated by the Missile Technology Control Regime, a coalition of 34 nations to curb proliferation of missile technology. That was the first enforcement of the 2006 resolution.
North Korea was condemned by the Security Council after the government in Pyongyang launched several missiles earlier this month in defiance of the UN resolutions. North Korea fired four short- or medium-range missiles on July 2 and seven on July 4.
To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner at the United Nations at wvarner@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: July 16, 2009 21:58 EDT
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=2...L1nGtzNUQ#