UN Slaps Travel Ban on N.Korean Officials

The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to impose sanctions against five North Korean officials involved in developing missiles and carrying out the North's second nuclear test. The five officials will be banned from traveling abroad and have their overseas assets frozen.

They are Ri Je-Son, director of the General Bureau of Atomic Energy; Yun Ho-Jin, director of Namchongang Trading Corp.; Hwang Sok-Hwa, chief of the atomic energy bureau's scientific guidance; Ri Hong-Sop, former director of Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center; and Han Yu-ro, director of Korea Ryongaksan General Trading Corp.

This is the first time the UNSC put specific North Korean officials on the list of targets for sanctions.

The UNSC also banned the sale to North Korea of two types of materials used to develop ballistic missile parts: graphite used in electrical discharge machining, and para-aramid fiber, filament and tape.

Blacklisted entities include the General Bureau of Atomic Energy in Pyongyang, Namchongang Trading Corp., Korea Hyoksin Trading Corp., Korean Tangun Trading Corp., and Iran-based Hong Kong Electronics.

With the decision on Thursday, the number of North Korean companies or organizations whose assets abroad are frozen rose to eight, from three designated in April.