On Friday 31 May, the European Union sanctioned a further six individuals and three entities from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for their involvement in illegal weapons programmes and their support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The people sanctioned are: - Song Rim, Head of the IT Development Department of the Biryugang Overseas Technology Cooperation Company; - Kim Chol Sok, intelligence officer of the DPRK's Reconnaissance General Bureau; - Rim Yong Hyok, Deputy Representative for the UN-sanctioned Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID) in Syria; - Kim Kyong Nam, a representative of the Foreign Trade Bank, the DPRK’s primary foreign exchange bank; - An Se-Ho, a DPRK diplomat who was formerly the First Secretary at the Embassy of the DPRK in Conakry (Guinea); - Oleg Nikolaevich Kozhemyako, Governor of the Primorsky Krai region of the Russian Federation.
The three entities are: - Hapjanggang Trading Corporation, a company subordinate to the DPRK Ministry of Rocket Industry; - Korea Namgang Trading Corporation, the company responsible for the expatriation of workers from the DPRK; - The Eastern Stevedoring Company, which operates the terminals at the main container port of the Russian Far-East in Vostochny Port.
The sanctions include the freezing of assets, a ban on travel to the EU and a ban on the provision of funds or economic resources to these individuals and entities.
The EU is seeking to prevent the flow of components, finance and knowledge that could contribute to the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programmes, and urges the DPRK to comply with international law and resume dialogue with the relevant parties.
This decision brings the total number of people and entities sanctioned by the EU to 77 and 20 respectively – in addition to the UN Security Council sanctions linked to the DPRK’s illegal programmes – enshrined in EU legislation.
Between January and May 2024, the DPRK launched at least 22 ballistic missiles and the EU has repeatedly condemned it for these actions, which violate UN resolutions and threaten global security (see EUROPE 13419/28).
To see the list: https://aeur.eu/f/ch9 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)