UN imposes fresh sanctions on officials in North Korea
The UN's security council has imposed a series of fresh 'targeted' sanctions on North Korea in response to repeated missile tests conducted by Pyongyang.
Voting unanimously to add the names of 14 North Korean officials and four entities linked to the North's nuclear and missile programs to the U.N. blacklist - making them subject to a global travel ban and asset freeze - the council said it was "sending a clear message" that the missile tests would not be tolerated.
In a speech after Friday's vote, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said: "The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today: Stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences."
While U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called North Korea a "clear and present danger" to the world as he claimed the country had "increased the pace and scope of its efforts" in the pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The new sanctions come after Pyongyang repeatedly defied a UN resolution banning all nuclear and missile tests, conducting numerous tests already this year.
According to the resolution the entities added to its blacklist include the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army, and among the individuals named was the head of Pyongyang's overseas spying operations.