U.S. takes more steps to block N.Korea access to U.S. financial system

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday took steps to further block North Korea's access to the U.S. financial system in response to what it said was the threat the isolated country posed to the global financial system, and it urged other countries to take similar steps.

In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department said it had declared North Korea a "primary money laundering concern" and called for a prohibition on certain U.S. financial institutions maintaining "correspondent accounts" with North Korean financial institutions.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey)