The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a network of six individuals and five entities based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Wednesday for procuring items that support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ballistic missile and space programs.
This action comes in response to the DPRK’s continued violation of multiple United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) by conducting launches using ballistic missile technology, including a recent failed attempt to place a military satellite into orbit in May 2024.
Additionally, the DPRK has supplied ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation, which has used them to target civilian areas and infrastructure in Ukraine, perpetuating its unprovoked war.
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Russia has exacerbated the situation by vetoing the renewal of the UN Panel of Experts, which is responsible for monitoring violations of DPRK-related UNSCR sanctions, according to OFAC.
This move has facilitated the evasion of UN sanctions by the DPRK and other actors. Today’s sanctions reaffirm that the relevant UNSCRs remain in full force and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to countering sanctions evasion and enhancing enforcement efforts, according to OFAC.
“The DPRK’s continued development and proliferation of its ballistic missile technologies—in violation of UN sanctions—is both irresponsible and destabilizing for both the region and the international community,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States remains committed to using our tools to enforce these international sanctions, including disrupting the illicit procurement networks that provide key inputs for these technologies and holding accountable those who seek to enable these activities.”
These sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13382 (E.O. 13382), which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters.
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This action builds on OFAC’s June 15, 2023, designation of Choe Chol Min, a Beijing-based representative of the DPRK’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS). OFAC designated Choe Chol Min under E.O. 13382 for acting on behalf of SANS, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked under E.O. 13382.
The U.S. Department of State designated SANS on August 30, 2010, for materially contributing to the DPRK’s WMD programs, and it was also designated for a UN asset freeze on March 7, 2013. SANS operates subordinate defense-related procurement and proliferation entities that it uses to obtain commodities and technology to support the DPRK’s defense research and development programs.
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