President Barack Obama signed an executive order today imposing new sanctions on North Korea, in response to the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the Treasury Department designated three organizations and ten North Korean officials under those sanctions.

In the executive order, Obama cited North Korea’s “provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies ... including its destructive, coercive cyber-related actions during November and December 2014.” 

Specifically, the executive order imposes sanctions against agencies and officials associated with the North Korean government and Workers’ Party of Korea. The sanctions deny them access to the U.S. financial system and bar them from entering the United States.

Designations List

The following three companies are designated under the executive order for being controlled entities of the North Korean government:

Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB): RGB is North Korea’s primary intelligence organization and is involved in a range of activities to include conventional arms trade banned by numerous United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Many of North Korea’s major cyber operations run through RGB.

Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID): KOMID is North Korea’s primary arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons.  KOMID has offices in multiple countries around the world and facilitates weapons sales for the North Korean government.

Korea Tangun Trading Corporation is subordinate to the Second Academy of Natural Sciences and is primarily responsible for the procurement of commodities and technologies to support North Korea’s defense research and development programs, including materials that are controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) or the Australia Group. The new aliases for Korea Tangun Trading Corporation include Ryung Seng Trading Corporation, Ryungseng Trading Corporation, and Ryungsong Trading Corporation.

The following ten individuals are designated for their status as officials of the North Korean government:

Kil Jong Hun and Kim Kwang Yon, officials of the North Korean government and represent the southern African interests of KOMID. Kil Jong Hun is KOMID’s representative in Namibia and an official of the North Korean government.

Jang Song Chol, a KOMID representative in Russia and an official of the North Korean government. He is working with individuals in Sudan who are procuring materials from him;

Yu Kwang Ho, an official of the North Korean government;

Kim Yong Chol, a KOMID representative in Iran and an official of the North Korean Government;

Jang Yong Son, a KOMID representative in Iran and an official of the North Korean government;

Kim Kyu, KOMID External Affairs Officer and an official of the North Korean government;

Ryu Jin and Kang Ryong, KOMID officials operating in Syria and are officials of the North Korean government; and

Kim Kwang Chun, a Korea Tangun Trading Corporation representative in Shenyang, China and an official of the North Korean government.

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