▲ A new type of the Chollima-1 rocket carrying a reconnaissance satellite called the Malligyong-1 lifts off from the launching pad at the Sohae satellite launch site in Tongchang-ri in northwestern North Korea at 10:42 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2023, in this photo released the next day by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. North Korea said it has successfully placed the spy satellite into orbit and will launch several more satellites "in a short span of time" to secure its reconnaissance capabilities against South Korea. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

S Korea-NK sanctions

S. Korea imposes sanctions on 11 N. Korean individuals after spy satellite launch

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea imposed unilateral sanctions Friday on 11 North Korean individuals involved in satellite and ballistic missile development, in response to the North's launch of a military spy satellite last week, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The announcement came on the same day that the United States, Japan and Australia released or were to release their own sanctions against Pyongyang over the spy satellite launch, marking the first time for the four countries to impose sanctions on the reclusive regime around the same time.

The sanctions apply to five individuals, comprising Ri Chol-ju, Kim In-beom, Ko Kwan-yong and Choe Myong-su from the National Aerospace Technology Administration and Kang Son, a manager from the Ryongsong Machine Complex, for involvement in the satellite development and procurement of supplies.

Also in the list are Lt. Gen. Kim Choon-kyo of the Korean People's Army, two officials from the North's Machine-Building Industry Department, a diplomat stationed in the North Korean Embassy in Russia, the head of a research institute and a manager at the Thaesong Machine Factory.

They are accused of involvement in the research and development related to and operations of ballistic missiles.

North Korea is banned from any launches using ballistic missile technology under multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions.

Friday's announcement came in tandem with a series of sanctions against North Korea by the U.S., Japan and Australia.

"It is significant that the governments of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia imposed sanctions in succession on the same date for the first time," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a release.

"Australia's participation for the first time in the designation of independent sanctions by South Korea, the U.S. and Japan demonstrates that the international community is bolstering the commitment that it will not sit idly by over North Korea's repeated provocations," the ministry said.

Hours earlier, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said it sanctioned Kimsuky, a North Korean cyber espionage group, and eight foreign-based agents of the reclusive regime in response to Pyongyang's spy satellite launch.

Japan and Australia were also set to release their own sanctions lists against North Korean individuals and entities.

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have imposed sanctions against the North at the same time in December 2022 and in September this year.

The sanctions are pursuant to South Korean laws on foreign exchange transactions and prohibition against financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,

Under the sanctions, anyone seeking to have financial deals with those on the sanctions list is required to get approval from the chief of the Bank of Korea or the country's financial authorities.

The latest independent sanctions designation against Pyongyang is the 13th of its kind under the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol. It raises the total numbers of sanctioned North Korean individuals and institutions to 75 and 53, respectively.

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