Sanctions follow studio hack
January 2, 2015
US President Obama signed an executive order on Friday authorizing initial sanctions to punish Pyongyang over the alleged hacking. They come on top of previous US sanctions directed at North Korea's nuclear program.
"The order is not targeted at the people of North Korea, but rather is aimed at the government of North Korea and its activities that threaten the United States and others," Obama said.
Since November's cyber attack on Sony Pictures, Pyongyang has vehemently denied any involvement but applauded the actions of a shadowy online group calling itself the "Guardians of Peace."
Last week, the American FBI blamed North Korea for hacking the film studio. Its satire, "The Interview," depicts a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Three entities targeted
The US Treasury Department said new sanctions targeted North Korea's intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau; arms dealer Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation and Korea Tangun Trading Corporation.
The treasury said it was responsible for procurement for North Korean defense research and development programs.
The treasury added that sanctions also applied to 10 North Korean government officials. They were barred from using the US financial system and Americans were prohibited from doing business with them, it said.
First part of US response
The White House said Friday's move was just the first part of a US response to the Sony incident.
"We take seriously North Korea's attack that aimed to create destructive financial effects on a US company and to threaten artists and other individuals with the goal of restricting their right to free expression," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
"Today's actions are driven by our commitment to hold North Korea accountable for its destructive and destabilizing conduct," added US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.
The November cyber intrusion at Sony resulted in the release of embarrassing emails, scripts and other internal communications, including information about salaries and employee health records.
US coy on shutdown
Last week, a nearly 10-hour shutdown of North Korean websites prompted speculation that the US might have launched a counter attack.
The White House did not comment on whether the US was behind the shutdown.
Obama had previously said his administration took the hack "very seriously" and warned that the United States would later "respond proportionately."
Kim signals readiness to talk
On Thursday, Kim Jong Un proposed the "highest-level" talks with South Korea that could open the way to a first summit since 2007.
North Korea suffers chronic food shortages, partly the result of a "military first" policy propagated by former leader Kim Jong-Il.
On Thursday, Sony Pictures expanded the digital availability of "The Interview" to top US cable, satellite and telecom services.
Independent cinemas began showing the film at Christmas after major chains canceled showings amid threats by unidentified hackers.
ipj/nm (dpa, AP, Reuters, AFP)