US sanctions 4 North Koreans living in China it links to Pyongyang’s hypersonic missile tests
- Those punished worked in the Chinese cities of Dalian and Shenyang to acquire supplies to help the North build its nuclear weapons programme, the US says
- All four men were affiliated with North Korea’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences, which was previously sanctioned by the US and the United Nations
The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced new financial sanctions targeting a group of North Korean nationals living in China over their alleged role in aiding Pyongyang’s illicit weapons programmes.
The sanctions come one day after North Korea conducted its latest test of a “hypersonic” missile, in alleged violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. It was the nuclear-armed country’s second such test in one week.
“Today’s actions, part of the United States’ ongoing efforts to counter the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes, target its continued use of overseas representatives to illegally procure goods for weapons,” said Brian Nelson, the US under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, using an acronym for the official name of the country, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“The DPRK’s latest missile launches are further evidence that it continues to advance prohibited programmes despite the international community’s calls for diplomacy and denuclearisation,” said Nelson.
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North Korea claims to have conducted hypersonic missile test attended by leader Kim Jong-un
The four sanctioned men worked in the Chinese cities of Dalian and Shenyang to procure supplies that would help the North build its nuclear weapons programme, the Treasury Department said.