The global community has issued to a series of increasingly harsh sanctions on North Korea this year linked to its nuclear programme.
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The U.S. Department of Treasury announced the measures on Kim and ten other North Korean officials on Tuesday. The agency even calls the U.S. decision a “despicable crime”. The Chinese are concerned the missile defense system could be used against them, and the USA sanctions could hit Chinese companies that trade with North Korea. It was at least the fourth time this year that the recluse nation, which has nuclear weapons, used such language after actions by the United States or South Korea.
Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea, however, expressed reservations about Washington’s decision.
The officials also noted that this was the first time numerous North Korean officials involved have been publicly named.
Last month, the Treasury Department also designated the North as a “primary money laundering concern”, a powerful sanction created to cut off the rogue regime from the global banking system, for defiantly pursuing nuclear and missile development.
While North Korea urged the United States to retract the sanctions, it also said that it will handle all issues “arising in the relations with the U.S.” under wartime law, KCNA reported, quoting North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
“We have no illusions that this is going to bring some sort of dramatic change in and of itself to North Korea, but simply lifting the anonymity of these functionaries may make them think twice from time to time when they consider a particular act of cruelty or repression”, said the official.
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said many abuses were committed in political prison camps, where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 individuals were detained, including children and other relatives of the accused.
The Ministry of State Security administers North Korea’s vast network of political prison camps, where detainees are subjected to beatings, starvation, sexual assault, forced abortions and infanticide.
The North Korean nuclear and rocket tests are drawing quick responses from the US that will upset a supposed partner against Pyongyang’s weapons development, China.
A United Nations spokesman said: “The Secretary-General believes that discussion of human rights concerns allows for a more comprehensive assessment and action when addressing security and stability concerns on the Korean Peninsula”.
US officials said the list is not comprehensive, and will be updated periodically with new information. South Korea’s foreign ministry has welcomed the announcement, saying it too will join various efforts in tackling the North’s human rights issues.
Diplomats have warned that the sanctions could further inflame the volatile Supreme Leader of the Pariah State.
“Our hope is that we continue to cooperate as we have been in the last months, particularly with the U.N. Security Council resolution that we passed in which China stepped up and significantly increased its own actions with respect to (North Korea)”, he said. The cooperation of China and Russian Federation would be needed for any further designations.
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But the latest move marks the first time North Korean regime officials have been sanctioned over human rights violations.
