MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The sanctions were introduced over its alleged China's involvement in Pyongyang's nuclear program.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the two entities created a joint company to mine tantalum, niobium and zirconium, minerals which could be used in the manufacturing of nuclear reactors and missiles. The UN introduced sanctions against Ryonbong in 2009, while the company was blacklisted by Washington four year earlier.
Since the beginning of 2016, North Korea has carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests, prompting worldwide criticism and triggering tensions on the Korean peninsula.
On May 4, the US House of Representatives introduced new sanctions against North Korea. The legislation cuts off North Korea's access to ports around the world, sanctions any financial institutions that still do business with North Korea, prohibits goods produced by North Korean forced labor and sanctions foreign employers who use forced labor from the North in other countries.
