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3/19/2020

Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives, Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim Regime | U…

Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives,
Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim
Regime
January 24, 2018

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury's O ice of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
today sanctioned nine entities, 16 individuals, and six vessels in response to North Korea's
ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and continued violations of
United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). Today's sanctions target agents of the
Kim regime financing or otherwise supporting North Korea's WMD programs and other illicit
businesses. As a result of today's action, any property or interests in property of the designated
persons in the possession or control of U.S. persons or within the United States must be
blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from dealing with any of the designated parties.
"Treasury continues to systematically target individuals and entities financing the Kim regime
and its weapons programs, including o icials complicit in North Korean sanctions evasion
schemes," said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. "Pursuant to UN Security Council
Resolutions, the U.S. government is targeting illicit actors in China, Russia, and elsewhere who
are working on behalf of North Korean financial networks, and calling for their expulsion from
the territories where they reside. We are sanctioning additional oil, shipping, and trading
companies that continue to provide a lifeline to North Korea to fuel this regime's nuclear
ambitions and destabilizing activities."
Representatives of WMD-Related Entities
OFAC designated 10 representatives of the Korea Ryonbong General Corporation (Ryonbong),
which has been designated by the UN and the United States. Ryonbong specializes in
acquisition for North Korean defense industries and support to Pyongyang's military-related
sales. Its procurements also probably support North Korea's chemical weapons program. Many
of these individuals are located at Ryonbong representative o ices in China near the ChinaNorth Korean border, where they support the regime in a variety of ways: the Ji'an o ice
handled large quantities of a wide variety of multi-purpose goods such as chemicals, drilling
equipment, hoses, metals, and machines; the Dandong o ice procured multi-purpose items for
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Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives, Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim Regime | U…

North Korean arms proliferators; and the Linjiang o ice o en was tasked to fill orders consisting
of high quantities of goods worth several millions of dollars.
The following individuals are now designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13687, for
being o icials of the Workers' Party of Korea:
Jong Man Bok, Ryonbong representative in Dandong, China.
Ri Tok Jin, Ryonbong representative in Ji'an, China. Ri Tok Jin relayed o ers from Chinabased companies to North Korean arms proliferators.
Kim Man Chun, Ryonbong representative in Linjiang, China.
Kim Song, Ryonbong representative in Linjiang, China.
Ryang Tae Chol, Ryonbong representative in Tumen, China.
Kim Kyong Hak, Ryonbong representative in Zhuhai, China, who was involved in the
purchase of hazardous chemicals in mid-2016.
Han Kwon U, Ryonbong representative in Zhuhai, China.
Kim Ho Kyu, Ryonbong representative and Vice Consul of the North Korean Consulate
General in Nakhodka, Russia.
Pak Kwang Hun, Ryonbong representative in Vladivostok, Russia.
Pak Tong Sok, Ryonbong representative in Abkhazia, Georgia, formerly in Nakhodka,
Russia. In August 2017, Pak Tong Sok reportedly arranged to deploy North Korean laborers
to Abkhazia, which would likely be in violation of UNSCR 2371.
Kim Pyong Chan, Workers' Party of Korea o icial.
Financial Representatives
Today, pursuant to E.O. 13810 or E.O. 13687, OFAC designated five additional North Korean
individuals linked to North Korean financial networks. In UNSCR 2321 of 2016, the UN Security
Council decided that, if a Member State determines that an individual is working on behalf of or
at the direction of a DPRK bank or financial institution, then Member States shall expel the
individual from their territories. With today's action, the United States has identified 26 such
North Korean financial representatives in China, and several others located elsewhere. The
following individuals are now designated:
Choe Song Nam, UN- and U.S.-designated Daesong Bank representative in Shenyang,
China. As of late 2016, he reportedly held an account at a Chinese bank.
Ko Il Hwan, UN- and U.S.-designated Daesong Bank o icial in Shenyang, China.
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Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives, Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim Regime | U…

Paek Jong Sam, reportedly a Kumgang Group Bank representative in Shenyang, China. He
operates in the financial services industry in North Korea, and he reportedly is a iliated with
several Chinese bank accounts and companies.
Kim Chol, UN- and U.S.-designated Korea United Development Bank representative in
Dalian, China. As of 2016, he reportedly held an account at a Chinese bank.
Ri Myong Hun, reportedly was UN- and U.S.-designated Foreign Trade Bank representative
in Vladivostok, Russia.
Chinese and North Korean Trading Companies
OFAC designated China-based Beijing Chengxing Trading Co. Ltd. and Dandong Jinxiang Trade
Co., Ltd., pursuant to E.O. 13810. Between January 1, 2013, and June 1, 2017, these two
companies have cumulatively exported over $68 million worth of goods to North Korea and
imported more than $19 million worth of goods from North Korea. Beijing Chengxing Trading
Co. Ltd. reportedly sold two tons of high purity metals to a subordinate of Ryonbong. Dandong
Jinxiang Trade Co., Ltd. reportedly conducted trade with UN- and U.S.-designated Korea Tangun
Trading Corporation, also known as Korea Kuryonggang Trading Corporation, which is
subordinate to the UN- and U.S.-designated Second Academy of Natural Sciences, an entity
involved in North Korea's WMD and missile programs. In August 2015, Dandong Jinxiang Trade
Co., Ltd. reportedly also exported over half a million dollars' worth of used computers to North
Korea.
OFAC designated Hana Electronics JVC pursuant to E.O. 13810. Hana Electronics JVC, one of
North Korea's only electronics companies, operates in the manufacturing industry in North
Korea.
North Korea Shipping Companies and Vessels
OFAC designated five North Korean shipping companies pursuant to E.O. 13810 for operating in
the transportation industry in North Korea. The companies are Gooryong Shipping Co Ltd,
Hwasong Shipping Co Ltd, Korea Kumunsan Shipping Co, Korea Marine & Industrial Trdg, and
CK International Ltd. OFAC also blocked six vessels as property in which the above companies
have an interest. Gooryong Shipping Co Ltd is the registered owner and ship manager and
operator of the DPRK-flagged ship GOO RYONG. Hwasong Shipping Co Ltd is the registered
owner, ISM manager, and ship and commercial manager of the North Korea-flagged general
cargo ship HWA SONG. Korea Kumunsan Shipping Co is the registered owner, ship manager,
and operator of the North Korea-flagged tanker KUM UN SAN. Korea Marine & Industrial Trdg is
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Treasury Sanctions North Korean Overseas Representatives, Shipping Companies, and Chinese Entities Supporting the Kim Regime | U…

flagged general cargo ships UN RYUL and EVER GLORY. CK International Ltd is the registered
owner of the North Korea-flagged general cargo ship UL JI BONG 6, which on-loaded coal at the
port of Wonsan, North Korea and delivered the coal to Kholmsk, Russia, on September 5,
2017.
Oil
OFAC also sanctioned the North Korean Ministry of Crude Oil Industry, which handles crude oil
for North Korea.
For identifying information on the individuals and entities sanctioned today, click here.
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