17 March 2016•Update: 22 March 2016
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korea heralded new United States sanctions against Pyongyang Thursday, as a foreign ministry statement praised Washington for demonstrating its "strong resolve to respond to North Korea's repeated provocations".
Under an executive order from President Barack Obama, the U.S. confirmed Wednesday its commitment to unilateral punitive measures in response to the North's nuclear test and rocket launch earlier this year -- in addition to a United Nations resolution that has already led to heightened checks on North Korean trade.
With Pyongyang vowing to continue to develop nuclear weapons regardless, Seoul also recently took its own steps to restrict North Korea's ability to fulfill those ambitions.
Like South Korea, Washington has blacklisted multiple entities and officials from the North -- including government representatives working to secure mining business in Egypt and Syria.
Both countries have also targeted anyone supporting a range of abuses from ballistic missile development to the exploitation of tens of thousands of North Korean workers abroad -- one of Pyongyang's limited sources of revenue.
"The executive order is expected to greatly contribute to the mutual reinforcement of the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution," stated Seoul's ministry.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, however, announced this week that his country would soon test a miniaturized nuclear warhead and more ballistic missiles.
South Korea's UN Ambassador Oh Joon told reporters in Seoul Thursday that even more sanctions would "automatically" be discussed in the event of another nuclear or long-range missile test by the North.
