US House of Representatives approves further North Korea sanctions

Following North Korea’s claimed hydrogen bomb test last week (see previous blog), the US House of Representatives has approved a Bill that would permit more far-reaching US sanctions on North Korea. If the “North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Bill” becomes law, it will block North Korea’s access to hard currency, impose asset freezes on additional financial institutions and individuals that support the country’s missile proliferation, illicit activities, and human rights violations, allow the imposition of travel bans, block access to US government contracts for facilitating North Korean policies, and sanction entities that export luxury goods to North Korea. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he anticipates a similar North Korea sanctions Bill being considered by the senate in the near future.