US Sanctions on North Korean IT Firms in China and Russia

Washington: The US has imposed sanctions on two North Korean-controlled information technology (IT) companies based in China and Russia, accusing them of moving illicit funds to Pyongyang, the media reported. “These actions are intended to stop the flow of illicit revenue to North Korea from overseas information technology workers disguising their true identities and hiding behind front companies, aliases, and third-party nationals,” Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Thursday. The sanctions come at a time when the US is maintaining pressure on the North Korean government in its negotiations to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (IANS)