North Korean human rights abuses targeted by new designations
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Controls designated three senior North Korean officials, in response to the State Department's Report on Serious Human Rights Abuses and Censorship in North Korea,published today. The three men, Jong Kyong Thaek, Minister of State Security; Choe Ryong Hae, Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Organization and Guidance Department, and Pak Kwang Ho, Director of the Workers' Party of Korea Propaganda and Agitation Department, were designated pursuant to Executive Order 13687 based on their role in overseeing state agencies reportedly responsible for serious human rights abuses, including torture and forced labor, and censorship.