ISTANBUL

The US and its allies, including Japan, South Korea, and Australia, have imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea.

The move came after Pyongyang launched a reconnaissance satellite last week that sent photos of the US military installations in Japan, Guam, the White House, and the Pentagon, according to North Korea.

“In coordination with foreign partners, the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned eight foreign-based Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ‘agents’,” said a statement by the US Department of Treasury on Thursday.

DPRK is the official name of North Korea and it is for the first time that four allies have sanctioned the country simultaneously.

North Korea is facing nine major sanctions resolutions by the UN Security Council in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile activities since 2006. Besides, Washington has also in past imposed its own sanctions on North Korea.

The US Treasury accused these people of “facilitating sanctions evasion, including revenue generation and missile-related technology procurement that support the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction programs.”

It also sanctioned cyber espionage group Kimsuky for “gathering intelligence to support the DPRK’s strategic objectives.”

“Today’s actions by the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea reflect our collective commitment to contesting Pyongyang’s illicit and destabilizing activities,” said US Treasury official Brian E. Nelson.

Meanwhile, Seoul said Friday it unilaterally imposed sanctions on at least 11 North Koreans who are “involved in satellite and ballistic missile development,” according to Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency.