U.S. sanctions North Korea over Sony cyberattack
President Obama signed an executive order authorizing the sanctions for the alleged cyberattacks.
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US sanctions North Korea over Sony cyberattack
By JOSH LEDERMAN
34 minutes ago
Bloomberg
U.S. Slaps New Sanctions on N. Korea in Response to Sony
HONOLULU (AP) — The
United States imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea on Friday,
targeting the North's defense industry and spy service in an attempt to
punish Pyongyang for a crippling cyberattack against Sony. The sanctions
marked the first public act of retribution by the U.S.
"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," President Barack Obama wrote to a letter to
House and Senate leaders.
None
of the 10 individuals targeted by the U.S. are being sanctioned because
they had any involvement in the cyberattack, Obama administration
officials said. Rather, the U.S. sanctions were aimed at undermining
North Korea's defense sector, further isolating the government and
creating a deterrent for future cyberattacks, said the officials, who
briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
The White House
warned this was just the first part of the U.S. response to the Sony
incident. Officials said more individuals will be sanctioned in the
future.
The stepped-up
sanctions, authorized by Obama, will also affect three North Korean
entities that are already subject to U.S. sanctions. The U.S. has
extensive sanctions in place against North Korea over its nuclear
program, but these are the first sanctions punishing Pyongyang for
alleged cyberattacks.
The FBI has blamed North Korea for the crippling cyberattack
against Sony Pictures Entertainment. North Korea has denied involvement
but has expressed fury over a comedy film by Sony that mocked North
Korea's leader. Sony Pictures initially called off release of the film,
citing threats of terror attacks against U.S. movie theaters. Obama
criticized Sony's decision, and the movie opened last month.
A nearly 10-hour shutdown of North Korean websites last week prompted widespread speculation that the U.S. had launched a counterattack in retribution, but the White House did not comment on whether the U.S. was responsible. The U.S. has vowed a proportional response to the Sony incident but has warned its response would "take place at a time and in a manner of our choosing."
North Korea and the U.S. remain technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The rivals also are locked in an international standoff over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and its alleged human rights abuses.
Among those sanctioned Friday are organizations tied closely to North Korea's defense industry:
—Korea
Mining Development Trading Corporation, the state-owned arms dealer and
exporter of equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional
weapons.
—Korea Tangun Trading Corporation, which obtains technology to support North Korea's defense research.
—Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's primary intelligence organization that runs the country's cyber warfare.
Obama signed an executive order authorizing the sanctions from Hawaii, where he is on vacation with his family.
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Associated Press writer Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.
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Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
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