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The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control says the action is in response to the DPRK satellite launch.
The United States Department of the Treasury, backed by Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, has announced a raft of sanctions against a North Korean hacking group, as well as eight North Korean individuals.
The sanctions are in response to a North Korean satellite launch on 21 November and are designed to hinder the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs. The sanctions are also targeted at the DPRK’s ability to generate revenue and gather foreign intelligence.
“These sanctions are issued in coordination with new designations announced by the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.
“Australia is working with our allies and partners to slow the development of North Korea’s destabilising weapons programs and increase pressure on its procurement and revenue generation networks.”
However, while the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is targeting eight individuals, Minister Wong’s announcement only covers seven.
“Today, Australia is imposing targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on a further seven individuals and one entity associated with North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction or missile programs and the satellite launch,” Minister Wong said.
The “entity” is likely the same hacking group targeted by the OFAC – Kimsuky.
Kimsuky has been operating since 2012 and works out of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, the country’s main foreign intelligence agency. The group is generally responsible for intelligence gathering via cyber espionage and is known to target think tanks and researchers in Europe, Japan, the US, South Korea, and Russia. It has also been known to target news media.
“Kimsuky employs social engineering to collect intelligence on geopolitical events, foreign policy strategies, and diplomatic efforts affecting its interests by gaining illicit access to the private documents, research, and communications of their targets,” Treasury said in a statement.
Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E Nelson, said that the new sanctions will send a stern message to the DPRK.
“Today’s actions by the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea reflect our collective commitment to contesting Pyongyang’s illicit and destabilising activities,” Nelson said.
“The DPRK’s use of overseas labourers, money launderers, cyber espionage, and illicit funding continue to threaten international security and our allies in the region. We will remain focused on targeting these key nodes in the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation and weapons proliferation.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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