S. Korea imposes sanctions on 11 N. Korean individuals, 4 entities over ICBM launch

South Korea on Friday announced fresh sanctions targeting 11 North Korean individuals and four entities in response to the North’s latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this week.

On Thursday, North Korea fired the new Hwasong-19 ICBM toward the East Sea at a lofted angle, in the first such launch in almost a year. If fired on a normal trajectory, it would be capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

Seoul’s foreign ministry said the individuals are suspected of involvement in exports of North Korean weapons and related items, including five officials who worked for a company allegedly engaged in nuclear and missile development and earning money for the North Korean government.

Choe Chol-min, a diplomat stationed in the North’s embassy in China, was included in the list for his role in procuring ballistic missile components and other dual-use items.

The four entities are Tongbang Construction, Patisen S.A., the Kumrung Company and EMG Universal Auto, suspected of involvement in the North’s dispatch of its workers overseas to earn hard currency for the Kim Jong-un regime.

Under multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions, member countries are prohibited from sales and transfers of goods to and from North Korea that can be used in weapons development.