Chris Gallagher and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions Wednesday on six North Koreans. One Russian, and one Russian company were named as being responsible for purchasing goods from Russia or China to support North Korea’s weapon programs. This action comes after a string of North Korean missile launch, two of which occurred last week.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the measures were taken to stop North Korea from developing weapons technology and to impede the proliferation of such technologies.

They said that they had followed six North Korean missile launches from September 2021 to date, which each one it claimed violated several U.N. Security Council Resolutions.

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North Korea’s latest missile launches were “further evidence that it continues to advance prohibited programs despite the international community’s calls for diplomacy and denuclearization,” Nelson said in a statement.

In a statement, it was stated that the U.S. State Department had assigned Russia-based North Korean Choe Myong Hyon to be classified along with Russian national Roman Anatolyevich Alara to “activities and transactions that have materially contributed towards the proliferation of arms of mass destruction or the means of their delivery.”

It said Choe Myong Hyon, a Vladivostok-based representative of North Korea’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), had worked to procure telecommunications-related equipment from Russia.

The four North Koreans based in China were targeted by SANS-subordinate organisations – Sim Kwang SOk, Kim Song Hun and Kang Chol Hak – as well as one other North Korean named O Yong Ho.

Treasury reported that Sim Kwang Sok (based in Dalian) had been involved in procuring steel alloys, and Kim Song Hun (based in Shenyang), software, and chemicals.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un demanded a strengthening of his country’s strategic military forces as he viewed the testing of a hypersonic weapon on Tuesday.

Kim has made it clear in his New Year’s Resolution to equip the military with modern technology.

The test on Tuesday came hours after the U.S. Mission to the United Nations was joined by Japan, France, Ireland and Japan. They condemned the launch last week and called for the U.N. members to honor their sanctions obligations.

Resolutions of the U.N. Security Council ban North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile tests, and impose sanctions on those programs.

The United States government has taken steps to ban all U.S. assets from the targeted persons and prevent any dealings.