UPDATE - Japan, South Korea impose fresh sanctions on North Korean individuals, groups

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM SOUTH KOREA; CHANGES HEADER

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL/ Japan and South Korea on Friday announced fresh sanctions targeting individuals and groups in North Korea after fresh missile launches by Pyongyang.

The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to freeze the assets of four individuals and three groups, including the North Korean hacking group Andariel, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Tokyo's fresh measures against Pyongyang came after North Korea launched ballistic missiles early this week.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said North Korea "repeatedly conducts provocative actions," including ballistic missile launches at "an unprecedented rate and employing new ways."

"These are grave and imminent threats to Japan's security, and they threaten the peace and security of the region and the international community as a whole and are absolutely unacceptable," he told a news conference, according to a statement by Japan's Foreign Ministry.

"We will continue to work closely with the US, South Korea, and the international community to the denuclearization of North Korea," said Hayashi.

Meanwhile, South Korea also announced sanctions on a North Korean company and five individuals allegedly involved in illicit financing for the weapons of mass destruction program of Pyongyang.

Seoul sanctioned the North's Ryukyong Program Development and its chief Ryu Kyong-chol, and other individuals connected to the company, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported, citing a statement by the country’s Foreign Ministry.

*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this story