U.S. sanctions N.K. generals accompanying N.K. troops dispatched to Russia

The United States on Monday sanctioned two North Korean generals known to be accompanying thousands of North Korean troops dispatched to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, as well as other people and entities linked to Pyongyang’s military programs and other activities.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned nine individuals and seven entities that have provided financial and military support to the North, while the State Department sanctioned three targets related to the North’s ballistic missile program, according to the Treasury Department.

Among the individuals added to the OFAC’s sanctions list are Kim Yong-bok, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, and Ri Chang-ho, director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a key North Korean military intelligence agency.

The department pointed out that Kim and Ri are known to be accompanying North Korean troops that have been deployed to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine.

Since October, Pyongyang has supplied Russia with more than 11,000 troops, which are training for deployment against Ukraine, and sent significant quantities of missiles and ammunition to the Russian military to replenish its dwindling stockpiles, the department said.

Also added to the list was Pak Jong-chon, vice chair of the Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission. Park takes part in public events related to the North’s ballistic missile program, including a weapons factory tour and submarine launch, according to the department.

The North’s Defense Minister Ro Kwang-chol and Kim Geum-cheol, the president of Kim Il Sung Military University, were also put on the list.

“The Kim regime’s continued provocative actions—including its most recent ICBM test and its deepening military support to Russia—undermine the stability of the region and sustain Putin’s continued aggression in Ukraine,” Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said in a press release. ICBM stands for intercontinental ballistic missile.

“The United States remains committed to disrupting the illicit procurement and facilitation networks that enable these destabilizing activities,” the official added.

Among the newly sanctioned are Golden Triangle Bank and Okryu Trading Company.