Japan, the United States and South Korea have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea, such as asset freezes on individuals and organizations, in response to Pyongyang's failed attempt to launch a military satellite last week, APA reports citing Kyodo news.
Japan's Cabinet on Friday decided to designate four individuals -- a British man, a Chinese man and two men from North Korea -- and three groups, including North Korean hacking group Andariel, as new asset freeze targets.
South Korea also announced sanctions on a North Korean firm linked to weapons development programs and five individuals. Seoul suspects the five have been involved in raising funds for the North's nuclear and missile activities.
The two countries are security allies with the United States, and the measures imposed are in step with punitive U.S. measures announced on Thursday.
Washington rolled out additional sanctions on two further individuals, a North Korean man and a Russian man, as well as on Intellekt LLC of Russia, alleging that they helped finance North Korean efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
The measures follow Pyongyang's firing of a rocket carrying a reconnaissance satellite on Aug. 24, which did not go into orbit due to an error in its emergency blast system. It was the second North Korean military satellite launch to fail following the one in May.
Japan, South Korea and the United States have criticized North Korea's attempted satellite launches as violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from activities using ballistic missile technology.
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