South imposes sanctions against North’s on recent spy satellite launch

News of North Korea's second spy satellite launch shown on a TV at Seoul Station on Aug. 24. [YONHAP]

The South Korean government has announced sanctions against five individuals from North Korea and a North Korean IT company in response to Pyongyang's recent attempt to launch a spy satellite. 
 
The South Korean government interperts the launch as a testing of intercontinental ballsitic missiles.  
 
This marks the 11th round of sanctions imposed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration against North Korea, resulting in a total of 54 individuals and 51 institutions being placed on the sanctions list.
 
According to the Foreign Ministry, the five individuals and the IT company have been involved in North Korea's nuclear and missile development efforts, as well as funding the weapon programs.
 
The newly sanctioned Ryugyong Computer is a IT company developing weaponized unmanned systems and deploying its IT experts abroad.
 
It is suspected that many of these IT experts may have been involved in illicit activities, such as hacking into cryptocurrency markets to fund North Korea's weapon programs.
 
The five individuals targeted by the sanctions are employees of the North Korean IT development company, believed to be engaged in satellite development programs and drone-related projects.
 
On Aug.24, North Korea successfully launched its second spy satellite, following a previous failed attempt on May 31.
 
Pyongyang confirmed the launch of the reconnaissance satellite, named Malligyong-1, which was carried into space by a "new-type" Chollima-1 rocket.
 
The North Korean National Aerospace Development Administration stated that the failure of the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight was the cause of the previous launch failure.
 
North Korea has announced its intention to conduct another launch of the spy satellite in the coming month.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]