Involvement in Arms Trade... 10 Individuals, 2 Organizations Sanctioned
Including Key North Korean Military Figure Kang Soon-nam and Other Senior Officials
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Will Not Tolerate North Korea's Illegal Actions Threatening Security"
The government has designated North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam and other military leaders involved in North Korea's nuclear and missile development as targets of independent sanctions against North Korea. In particular, North Korean individuals and institutions involved in arms transactions with third countries, including Russia, have also been added to the list, which is interpreted as a measure to curb the possibility of arms trade between North Korea and Russia, a concern that has grown following Chairman Kim Jong-un's recent visit to Russia.
On the 21st, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would designate 10 North Korean individuals and 2 institutions as targets of independent sanctions against North Korea. Looking at the details of the sanction targets, there are 4 individuals and 2 institutions involved in arms transactions with third countries such as Russia, 3 senior North Korean military and party officials involved in North Korea's nuclear and missile development, and 3 North Korean individuals involved in illegal financial transactions in Russia and elsewhere. A Foreign Ministry official explained, "This is a firm response to North Korea's illegal activities that pose a serious threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the international community."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin [Image source=Yonhap News]
The institutions involved in arms transactions with third countries such as Russia are ▲Verso S.R.O ▲Glocom and one other, and the individuals are ▲Ashot Mkrtichyev (Slovak nationality) ▲Ri Hyok-chol ▲Kim Chang-hyok ▲Byun Won-geun and 4 others.
Verso was placed on the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) independent sanctions list against Russia in August, and Mkrtichyev is the owner of Verso. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Mkrtichyev coordinated arms transactions between North Korea and Russia from March this year. It is understood that he mediated a plan to transfer more than 20 types of weapons and ammunition from North Korea to Russia in exchange for sending food and other materials to North Korea.
Glocom is a front company of 'Pan Systems Pyongyang,' which was sanctioned by the government in 2016, and it attempted arms transactions with Eritrea. Eritrea is a country located in East Africa, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and has since had a single individual concurrently holding the positions of president, ruling party leader, and speaker of the National Assembly. It is criticized by the international community as one of the worst existing dictatorships alongside North Korea and Syria.
North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam (left) and Park Jong-chon, Director of the Party's Military Political Leadership Department, attending the North Korea-Russia summit [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, the senior North Korean officials designated for sanctions are ▲Kang Sun-nam, Minister of Defense ▲Pak Su-il, former Chief of the General Staff ▲Ri Song-hak, Party Secretary of the Academy of Defense Science, totaling 3 individuals. The Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff correspond to the South Korean Minister of National Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, respectively. In particular, Kang Sun-nam, who serves as the Minister of Defense, is a core figure in the North Korean military and accompanied Chairman Kim Jong-un on his recent visit to Russia. Pak Su-il was abruptly promoted from Minister of Social Security (Police Chief) to Chief of the General Staff at the end of last year but stepped down last month, handing over the position to Ri Yong-gil.
Other North Korean individuals involved in illegal financial transactions in Russia and elsewhere include ▲Jo Myong-chol (Representative of the Vladivostok First Credit Bank Branch) ▲Ri Chang-min (Representative of the Moscow Dongxing Kumgang Bank Branch) ▲Kim Myong-jin (Representative of the Beijing Daesong Credit Development Bank Branch), totaling 3 individuals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that except for Mkrtichyev, Kim Chang-hyok, Byun Won-geun, and the Verso side, the remaining 7 individuals and 1 institution were designated for sanctions by South Korea for the first time in the world. A Foreign Ministry official said, "The government will continue to impose independent sanctions against North Korea to block North Korea's illegal nuclear and missile development and arms transactions. We will lead the international community's efforts to block violations and evasion of sanctions against North Korea and will not tolerate North Korea's illegal activities that threaten our security, responding sternly."
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