Blacklist of NK Officials

[Anchor Lead]

Ahead of the U.S. president's visit to Korea, the South Korean government has added 18 more high-ranking North Korean officials to its blacklist of sanctioned North Korean individuals. The 18 figures were involved in providing funds for the development of weapons of mass destruction in the North. The measure comes in response to the request by the U.S. government.

[Pkg]

The Korean government has added 18 North Koreans to its list of sanctioned individuals in line with the United Nations Security Council's sanctions against North Korea and some of its citizens. The measure seeks to block financial transactions aimed at the development of weapons of mass destruction. The 18 individuals acted as overseas representatives of North Korean banks to provide funds for weapons development. They include Taesong Bank representative Kang Min in China, Korea United Development Bank representative Ri Un-song in Russia, and Foreign Trade Bank representative Ku Ja-hyong, who is based in Libya. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes the measure will help block North Korea's illegal funding activities and publicize the risks of doing business with the sanctioned individuals in Korea and abroad. It also added that the sanctions seek to persuade Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table and solve the nuclear crisis in a peaceful way. Sources say that the measure comes in response to Washington's request to sanction more North Koreans, because it has a strong symbolic significance. In March last year, the Korean government sanctioned 40 North Korean individuals and 30 organizations following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test. In December last year, it added 36 more individuals and 35 organizations in response to the North's fifth nuclear test.