North Korea continues to be pushed into a corner

Seven North Korean individuals had sanctions imposed on them by the U.S. and three entities for "flagrant" human rights abuses, including killings, forced labor, torture and the tracking down of refuge seekers abroad.

A statement released by Steven Mnuchin said that the sanctions were targeted towards North Korean military and regime officials. He added that North Koreans who were assisting the regime in financial transactions by hiring forced labor were also being targeted.

The Deputy Director of the Military Security Command, the first Vice Minister of the Ministry of People’s Security and the Labor Minister, North Korea’s consul general in China and a diplomat at its Vietnam embassy were among those sanctioned.

Scott Busby spoke at a gathering and said that the issue has been raised with China and that it was now up to China to react to the situation.

A Treasury statement said the External Construction Bureau along with the two other entities sanctioned, was operating from Algeria and was reported to earn foreign currency for North Korea.

It said the External Construction Bureau had operated in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

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