UN Security Council adds individuals and groups to DPR Korea sanctions list

Strongly condemning the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United Nations Security Council today decided to apply existing sanctions to 14 individuals and four entities.

Unanimously adopting a resolution, the 15-member body also reaffirmed its decisions that the north-east Asian country should abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities.

In the text, the Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities, including a series of ballistic missile launches, dating back to 9 September 2016, which were conducted “in violation and flagrant disregard” of the relevant Council resolutions.

So far this year, the DPRK has conducted nine ballistic missile tests, including one on Monday. In response, Council members have issued seven press statements, most recent one on 22 May, condemning the country's actions and expressing its readiness to take further significant measures, including sanctions.

Today's resolution contains one annex with the list of the 14 individuals who are now subject to travel ban and asset freeze and a second annex with the list of the four entities subject to asset freeze.

Those sanction measures are specified in resolution 1718, which was adopted in 2006.