WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to North Korea’s failed launch of a spy satellite last week, the United States imposed sanctions Thursday on two men and a Moscow-registered company accused of supporting North Korea’s ballistic missile program.
The move came a day after the White House said it had new intelligence showing that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged letters, while Russia expects North Korea to provide more ammunition for the war in Ukraine.
The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Russia residents Jon Jin Yong and Sergei Kozlov, who it said worked together to coordinate the deployment of North Korean construction workers in Russia. It said they had “directly supported or helped generate revenue” for North Korean organizations linked to the development of weapons of mass destruction, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The U.S. said Jon led a team of North Korean IT workers in Russia and worked with Russians to obtain IDs for the workers. Some of the identification documents came from Kozlov’s family members or Russian associates, the Finance Ministry said.
The Treasury also imposed sanctions on the Moscow-registered company Intellekt LLC, which is allegedly owned or controlled by Kozlov and is linked to a construction project in Moscow coordinated by Jon.
The latest sanctions measures were taken in coordination with the South Korean and Japanese governments.
Brian E. Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury Department, said in a statement that the U.S. will continue to work closely with both countries to combat North Korea’s “unlawful and destructive activities.”
The Biden administration said Russia has increasingly turned to North Korea and Iran for the weapons it needs for its war against Ukraine. In March, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Russia was offering food to North Korea in exchange for ammunition.
North Korea has twice failed to put a spy satellite into orbit in recent months. The country’s National Aerospace Development Administration announced it would make a third attempt in October.
UN Security Council resolutions ban any launches by North Korea using ballistic technologies.
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Associated Press reporter Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.