US, Allies Levy New Sanctions on Top North Korean Officials

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Facts

  • The US, South Korea, and Japan on Friday placed sanctions on several top North Korean officials, including three who are part of leader Kim Jong-un’s regime, for participating in illegal activities related to the North's nuclear weapons program.
  • This latest round of sanctions serves as a response to North Korea’s Nov. 18 intercontinental ballistic missile test, as well as worries that the North might resume its nuclear weapons testing program. Pyongyang's nuclear testing program has been suspended since 2017.
  • The three individuals named for sanction by the US Treasury — Jon Il Ho, Yu Jin, and Kim Su Gil —were sanctioned by the EU in April. All of the individuals’ US-based assets are now frozen, and dealing with them is forbidden.
  • South Korea announced sanctions against seven other individuals and eight entities, while Japan sanctioned three entities and one individual.
  • Brian Nelson, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated: "Recent launches demonstrate the need for all countries to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prevent the DPRK from acquiring the technologies, materials, and revenue Pyongyang needs to develop its prohibited WMD and ballistic missile capabilities."
  • North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017 but has gotten more aggressive since Kim Jong-un rose to power in 2010. The country could be prepared for a seventh test, and experts say North Korea is working on better short-range missiles and conventional military capabilities.

Sources: Independent, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and BBC News.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by NK News. For too long, North Korea has been skating along while facing uncoordinated sanctions that have had little impact. Pyongyang has also been avoiding more severe punishments from the UN Security Council because of objections from Russia and China. By working together, the US and its allies should inflict more pain on North Korea, which must also worry about more coordinated sanctions being on the way.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AntiWar. The US and its allies keep playing this cat-and-mouse game with North Korea, yet Pyongyang is already under heavy sanctions and its behavior hasn’t changed. All this does is increase tensions on the peninsula. The US must change its approach to getting the North to denuclearize if it wants different results.

Predictions