South Korea imposes new sanctions on exports to North Korea via 3rd country

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on the export of materials to North Korea for the satellite system via a third country, local media said.

Seoul has placed 77 items used for the satellite system on a "watch list," including solar cell laydowns, coarse sun sensor assemblies, star trackers, image data handling units, X-band transmitters, and control moment gyro actuation units, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said the list is also shared with other countries for export controls on North Korea.

The latest decision comes after North Korea announced in December last year that they conducted a "final-stage" test to develop a "military reconnaissance satellite" that will be launched into orbit by April of this year.

Seoul also decided to impose additional sanctions on four individuals, including Ri Yong-gil, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, and six institutions allegedly involved in the country's missile and nuclear weapons programs.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen further since the US and South Korea began their Freedom Shield military exercises last week.

On Monday, North Korea said it held a combined tactical drill to “substantially bolster the country's war deterrence and nuclear counterattack capability.”

Earlier, Pyongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to use nuclear weapons if the US and South Korea continued to show "open hostility" toward his country.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid