Tensions have escalated after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, most recently on November 28. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un have also traded personal insults. The two officials were listed last Friday in a new United Nations Security Council resolution sanctioning North Korea, it said. “Kim Jong-Sik reportedly is a key figure in North Korea’s ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong-Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile development,” the Treasury statement said. On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions that will restrict oil supplies vital for North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

Source: Manila Times December 27, 2017 07:18 UTC