“Government of the Republic of Korea [nome oficial da Coreia do Sul] “Strongly condemns recent missile provocations conducted with unprecedented frequency, including the use of tactical nuclear weapons against us,” the South Korean foreign ministry said in describing the new penalties.
The new sanctions affect 15 North Korean individuals and 16 companies.
Among the persons recognized were four members of the Second Academy of Natural Sciences
The rest belonged to companies involved in the importation of materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction.
The 16 companies targeted include logistics companies or companies involved in electronics, steel or crude oil trading.
The announcement of the sanctions came after North Korea’s latest launch of a short-range ballistic missile, followed by air drills near the border between the two Koreas, where the North’s military forces also fired hundreds of artillery rounds.
Pyongyang said it was in response to “provocative actions” by South Korea, whose troops conducted exercises near the border on Thursday.
The launch was Pyongyang’s ninth since September 25 in a series of tests of tactical nuclear weapons systems in response to recent maneuvers in the south of the peninsula, including by a US aircraft carrier.
Many analysts believe more North Korean tests are on the horizon, including the first new underground nuclear explosion since September 2017.