Overview
- Washington sanctioned two North Korean banks and eight individuals for laundering cybercrime proceeds and running illicit overseas IT-worker schemes.
- State Department officials said they will seek additional penalties at the UN sanctions committee, including measures against vessels accused of smuggling coal and iron ore.
- North Korea’s state media denounced the new U.S. measures as antagonistic and warned it would respond correspondingly.
- South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers it sees a high possibility of renewed dialogue and detected signs Pyongyang prepared for contacts around the APEC period despite no meeting occurring.
- President Trump has said he remains open to meeting Kim Jong Un and would return to Asia, while the NIS also reported Pyongyang’s deepening ties with Russia that could bolster its leverage.