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According to Xinhua News Agency,the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and other top officials over alleged human rights abuses.
Kim was designated "for having engaged in, facilitated, or been responsible for an abuse or violation of human rights by the Government of DPRK or the Workers' Party of Korea," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The designated top DPRK officials include Choe Pu Il, Minister of People's Security, Ri Song Chol, Counselor in the Ministry of People's Security, and Kang Song Nam, a Bureau Director with the Ministry of State Security, according to the statement.
According to the BBC News, the statement from the US Treasury named Mr Kim as directly responsible for violations in his country.Ten other top DPRKn officials have also been blacklisted. There has been no response yet from the DPRKn government.
The measures freeze any property the individuals have in the US and prevent US citizens doing business with them.
DPRK is already under an extensive sanctions regime for its nuclear activities but analysts see the latest move as an escalation of US efforts to isolate the nation.
Mr Kim has never personally been subject to US sanctions before.Photo:AFP
As a result of the move, any property or interest in property of those designated within U.S. jurisdiction is frozen. Transactions by U.S. persons involving the designated persons are also generally prohibited.
The department has previously sanctioned four individuals and three entities of the DPRK over alleged human rights abuses.
It estimates that between 80,000 and 120,000 prisoners are being held in DPRKn prison camps where torture, sexual assault and executions are routine.
State Department spokesman John Kirby admitted the sanctions were unlikely to deter Mr Kim.
"But that doesn't mean this still isn't the right thing to do and it doesn't mean that it still isn't the right thing for us to continue to pursue," he added.
The US has imposed sanctions against other heads of state before, including Syria's Bashar al-Assad and former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
(APD)
