Obama signs bill for stricter sanctions against DPRK

World Today

A man carries his country’s national flag after celebrations of the “Day of the Shining Star” or birthday anniversary of late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016, in Pyongyang, DPRK. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

U.S. President Barack Obama has signed legislation hitting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with more stringent sanctions for refusing to stop its nuclear weapons program.

The White House said Obama had signed measures passed by Congress, tightening sanctions on anyone importing goods or technology related to weapons of mass destruction into DPRK, or anyone who knowingly engaged in human rights abuses.

Congress approved the bill on Friday. 

The expanded sanctions from Congress come as the U.S. and China are in delicate negotiations over a U.N. Security Council resolution on new sanctions. China has raised concerns about measures that could devastate the DPRK’s economy.

Obama’s approval comes after DPRK residents celebrated the “Day of the Shining Star” or birthday anniversary of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on Tuesday, a revered national holiday.

Story by the Associated Press