The United States has imposed sanctions on two individuals and a Moscow-registered firm accused of supporting North Korea's ballistic missile program. These sanctions come in response to North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite last week and follow new intelligence revealing a correspondence between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The US Treasury Department has identified Jon Jin Yong and Sergei Kozlov, based in Russia, as individuals who coordinated the use of North Korean construction workers in Russia, providing support and generating revenue for North Korean organizations involved in the development of weapons of mass destruction.

The Treasury has also sanctioned Intellekt LLC, a Moscow-based firm owned or controlled by Kozlov, which is connected to a construction project coordinated by Jon. These latest sanctions were implemented in collaboration with South Korea and Japan, and the US has expressed its commitment to working closely with both countries to combat North Korea's illicit activities.

The Biden administration has claimed that Russia has increasingly turned to North Korea and Iran for arms to support its conflict in Ukraine, including reportedly offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. Despite North Korea's failed satellite launch attempts, it has announced plans for a third attempt in October. The United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from conducting any ballistic technology launches.