South sanctions North's head of intelligence, 7 others for illegal arms trade, cyber crimes

North Korea

Published: 27 Dec. 2023, 09:00 Updated: 27 Dec. 2023, 19:22

South sanctions North's head of intelligence, 7 others for illegal arms trade, cyber crimes

An Israeli soldier walks near armaments during an official media tour organized by the Israeli military on Oct. 26, where it displayed a variety of weapons recovered from areas hit by the Palestinian Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 attack on communities across southern Israel. Israel's military on Oct. 26 said a portion of the weapons used by Hamas during the militant group's Oct. 7 attacks were made in Iran and North Korea. [AFP/YONHAP]

The South Korean government sanctioned eight North Korean individuals, including the head of the North's intelligence bureau, for their illegal arms trade and cyber activities on Wednesday.

The sanctioned individuals include Ri Chang-ho, head of the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau; Yun Chol, third secretary of the North Korean Embassy in China; and Ri Sin-song, affiliated with Pan Systems Pyongyang, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

They were "earning foreign currency through illegal cyber activities," stealing technology, engaging in arms deals and trading other sanctioned materials to fund the North's missiles and nuclear weapons program, the ministry said.

Ri Chang-ho, in particular, as head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, was involved in the North's hacking groups Kimsuky, Lazarus and Andariel's illegal cyber activities.

Yun was involved in the illegal trading of nuclear material lithium-6 in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions on the North, according to the Foreign Ministry.

It was the 14th unilateral sanction on the North by the Yoon Suk Yeol government, which altogether has sanctioned a total of 83 individuals and 53 institutions as of Wednesday.

"Our government urges North Korea to stop its illegal nuclear development and provocations and quickly return to the path of denuclearization," said Lim Soo-suk, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, in a press briefing in Seoul on Tuesday.

Any Korean entity wishing to engage with sanctioned individuals or organizations for financial transactions will need the approval of the Bank of Korea or the Financial Services Commission.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]