“The legislation we passed today is a direct response to North Korea’s continued aggression. At a time when North Korea is closer than ever to miniaturizing a nuclear warhead, this legislation applies tough sanctions against the regime and its enablers,” Royce said in the statement.
The Act denies sanctioned North Koreans and those assisting the Pyongyang weapons programs access to the United States and its financial system, as well as targets banks and individuals who facilitate North Korean cyberattacks, proliferation, smuggling and money laundering.
“The legislation also shines a light on the gross human rights abuses Kim Jong Un and his top officials inflict on North Koreans,” Royce said.
The US House of Representatives passed similar legislation last year, but it was dismissed by the US Senate, according to the statement.
Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have intensified following a massive cyberattack on the US company Sony Pictures Entertainment in November 2014. On January 2, President Obama signed an executive order expanding US sanctions against North Korean agencies and individuals and blamed Pyongyang for being behind the hack.
