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| North Korea claims to have successfully test-fired a new hypersonic missile in September, a second last Wednesday, and a third test yet again this week. (Photo by=KCNA/ Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] WASHINGTON: The United States said Wednesday that it’s designating six North Korean individuals related to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.
The Department of Treasury said it is designating five North Korean individuals, one based in Russia and four in China, for illegally procuring materials for the North's WMD and ballistic missile programs. The Department of State also designated an additional North Korean individual based in Russia for a similar reason."Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated five Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) individuals responsible for procuring goods for the DPRK's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile-related programs," the treasury department said in a press release, referring to North Korea by its official name. "These actions are in line with U.S. efforts to prevent the advancement of the DPRK's WMD and ballistic missile programs and impede attempts by Pyongyang to proliferate related technologies. They also follow the DPRK's six ballistic missile launches since September 2021, each of which violated multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions," it added.
Meanwhile, North Korea has boycotted denuclearization negotiations since late 2019. Price on Tuesday said the North has also ignored U.S. overtures since the Biden administration took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
