US sanctioned 6 individuals, entities tied to North Korea arms supply to Myanmar’s Junta
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – The US administration on Friday imposed sanctions on six individuals and entities linked to illicit arms deals that generate revenue for North Korea and support Myanmar’s military regime.
The action targets a weapons procurement network involving the North Korea/ Democratic People’s Republic of Korea which is accused of supplying military equipment to Myanmar following its 2021 coup.
The sanctions, announced by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control include one Myanmar-based company and five individuals.
“The United States sanctioned six targets for their roles in generating revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea including by procuring material from North Korea for Myanmar’s military regime, which has indiscriminately attacked civilian infrastructure since its 2021 coup,” according to the official statement.
The move aims to disrupt arms trafficking networks that fund North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes, while also holding accountable those enabling violence by Myanmar’s military.
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated one entity and five individuals for their roles in facilitating arms trafficking and generating revenue for the DPRK regime.
The designated entity is Royal Shune Lei Company Limited, based in Myanmar.
According to OFAC, the company facilitated arms deals for the Burmese Air Force through its directors Kyaw Thu Myo Myint and Tin Myo Aung, in coordination with Kim Yong Ju, the Beijing-based deputy representative of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation.
KOMID, also known as the 221 General Bureau is North Korea’s primary arms dealer and a major exporter of missile-related equipment.
Other sanctioned individuals include Aung Ko Ko Oo, a director of Royal Shune Lei, and Nam Chol Ung, a DPRK national and representative of the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), who laundered foreign currency through a regional network of front companies.
“These actions underscore the United States’ commitment to disrupting networks that support the DPRK’s destabilizing activities and to promoting accountability for those who enable Burma’s military regime,” the Treasury Department said.
US also reaffirmed its intent to work with international partners, including through the G7+ DPRK Sanctions Contact Group, to ensure coordinated and effective enforcement of sanctions targeting North Korea’s global revenue and supply chains.
