UN expands sanctions on North Korea, freezes assets of 18 officials

Cho Il-Um the head of foreign espionage for Kim Jong-Un's regime, was added to the blacklist

The UN Security Council put North Korea's suspected spy chief, 13 other Pyongyang officials and four entities on a sanctions blacklist, hitting them with a global travel ban and an assets freeze.

The council unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution imposing the new targeted sanctions in response to a series of ballistic missile tests this year that are banned under UN resolutions.

The resolution however did not contain some of the biting sanctions that the US administration had floated last month, such as an oil embargo, a ban on maritime shipping, trade restrictions and curbs on North Korean workers abroad.

Among those added to the blacklist was Cho Il-U, believed to be the head of foreign espionage for Kim Jong-Un's regime.

The other 13 included senior officials from North Korea's Workers' Party and heads of trading firms tasked with securing purchases for Pyongyang's military programs.

The strategic rocket force of the North Korean army, two trading firms and the Koryo Bank, linked to a party office that manages Kim's finances, were also hit by an assets freeze.

The 18 names will be added to the current blacklist of 39 individuals and 42 North Korean entities already under UN sanctions.

North Korea has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

For weeks, the United States has been negotiating with China, Pyongyang's ally, on imposing new sanctions but Beijing has insisted on the need to open up dialogue with Pyongyang.

The United States has said it is willing to talk to North Korea if it halts its missile and nuclear tests.