The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned a network of six individuals and five entities based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). These sanctions target those involved in procuring items to support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ballistic missile and space programs. The DPRK has continued its ballistic missile launches, including a recent failed attempt to place a military satellite into orbit in May 2024, violating multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR).
Additionally, the DPRK has supplied ballistic missiles to Russia, which continues its conflict in Ukraine. Russia has vetoed the renewal of the UN Panel of Experts monitoring DPRK-related UNSCR sanctions violations, facilitating evasion by the DPRK and other actors.
“The DPRK’s continued development and proliferation of its ballistic missile technologies—in violation of UN sanctions—is both irresponsible and destabilizing for both the region and the international community,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States remains committed to using our tools to enforce these international sanctions, including disrupting illicit procurement networks.”
This action follows Executive Order 13382 (E.O. 13382), targeting proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters. It builds on OFAC’s June 15, 2023 designation of Choe Chol Min, a Beijing-based representative of the DPRK’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS).
The DPRK relies on foreign-sourced materials for its missile programs due to domestic production limitations. To procure these materials, it uses an extensive network involving diplomatic missions, trade offices, third-country nationals, and foreign-incorporated companies.
Shi Qianpei is identified as a key facilitator for Choe Chol Min. He worked with associates including Du Jiaxin, Wang Dongliang, Chen Tianxin (his wife), and Shi Anhui (his father) to procure items like metal sheets used in North Korean missiles.
Entities such as Beijing Sanshunda Electronics Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Qidong Hengcheng Electronics Factory, Shenzhen City Mean Well Electronics Co., Ltd., and Yidatong Tianjin Metal Materials Co., Ltd. were also involved in these activities.
As a result of this action, all property within U.S. jurisdiction belonging to these designated persons is blocked. Transactions involving these properties are prohibited unless authorized by OFAC.
Financial institutions engaging with sanctioned entities may face enforcement actions or further sanctions. Non-U.S. persons are also restricted from causing U.S. persons to violate U.S. sanctions unwittingly or otherwise.
OFAC emphasizes that its goal is not punishment but behavioral change through sanctions enforcement.
For more information on today’s designations or seeking removal from an OFAC list, refer to OFAC’s guidelines.
