EU sanctions against North Korea

The European Union has announced its decision to impose sanctions on 8 individuals and 4 entities supporting North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program who responded with ballistic missile tests.

The EU has imposed additional sanctions on North Korea, which has accelerated its weapons program in recent months and fueled tensions on the Korean Peninsula with its successive missile tests. According to a report in the official journal of the EU, the sanctions list includes 8 people and 4 other organizations that support the Pyongyang administration’s program to create nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. While the sanctions were noted to include a travel ban, an asset freeze and a funding ban, it was learned that most of the individuals and entities added to the list were already subject to sanctions imposed by the US and South Korea.

With the latest decision, the number of individuals independently sanctioned by the EU due to North Korea’s arms program has increased to 73, and the number of organizations has risen to 17. In addition to its own sanctions, the EU, which updated its independent sanctions list last April, is known to have also imposed sanctions on 80 individuals and 75 entities in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.