US sanctions five North Koreans after missile launch
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The United States continues to throw sanctions here and there, each time for a different reason and a new justification.
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The United States continues to throw sanctions here and there
A day after Pyongyang launched a hypersonic missile, the United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on five North Koreans allegedly linked to the “country's ballistic missile program.”
The Treasury Department accused the five North Koreans of being "responsible for procuring goods for the DPRK's (North Korea's) weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile-related programs."
"Today's actions, part of the United States' ongoing efforts to counter the DPRK's weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, target its continued use of overseas representatives to illegally procure goods for weapons," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
The latest launches "are further evidence that it continues to advance prohibited programs despite the international community's calls for diplomacy and denuclearization," Nelson claimed.
North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, personally oversaw the successful test of the hypersonic missile, which is the second in less than a week.
State news agency KCNA said the most recent test demonstrated "the superior maneuverability of the hypersonic glide vehicle," which hit a target some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.
North Korea's state media also announced that Kim Jong Un personally oversaw a hypersonic missile test, the second missile launch in less than a week, and the third reported. South Korea's national security council expressed "strong regret over the launch" following an emergency meeting.
The Treasury Department claimed the sanctions follow the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's "six ballistic missile launches since September 2021, each of which violated multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions."
"The United States remains committed to seeking dialogue and diplomacy with the DPRK, but will continue to address the threat posed by the DPRK's unlawful weapons programs to the United States and the international community," it said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday that it briefly halted departures at some West Coast airports on Monday, as North Korea reportedly launched a ballistic missile.
In September, North Korea conducted the first hypersonic missile test, joining a race led by major military powers, chiefly among them the US, to deploy the advanced weapons system.
