The Obama administration expanded sanctions [press release] against North Korea for alleged human rights violations on Wednesday, adding to the list of North Korean officials on the Specially Designated Nationals List [official website]. The eight persons added to the list were all officials of the government of the North Korea or the the political party, Workers’ Party of Korea, including Kim Jong Un’s sister. The consequences of being added to the list includes freezing of all US assets and that no US individual or business may deal with people on the list. The original sanctions was initiated after a congressionally mandated report [text] published by the US State Department [official website] detailing numerous human rights violations in North Korea including sexual violence, deliberate starvation, severe beatings, forced abortions and secret executions.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and 10 other high ranking officials were placed on the list [JURIST report] in July after the release of the report detailing the human rights violations in the country. In March the Obama administration also issued sanctions [JURIST report] against North Korea for their recent actions of nuclear and ballistic missile testing. The sanctions included a ban on exports of goods, services and technology to North Korea and prohibits any new investment with the nation. Last January the House of Representatives approved legislation [JURIST report] that would increase the sanctions against North Korea in response to reports that they had successfully tested hydrogen bomb.