UN imposes sanctions on operator of North Korean ship seized in Panama with arms from Cuba

The United Nations has imposed sanctions on the North Korean shipping company that operates a ship seized by Panama in July 2013 for carrying undeclared military equipment from Cuba and has ordered all countries to freeze its assets.

The Security Council committee monitoring sanctions on North Korea announced late Monday that it has added Ocean Maritime Management Company, Ltd., which operates the vessel Chong Chon Gang, to its sanctions blacklist.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power accused Cuba and North Korea of "a cynical, outrageous and illegal attempt ... to circumvent United Nations sanctions prohibiting the export of weapons to North Korea."

She said that imposing a global asset freeze on Ocean Maritime Management means that the company, which is headquartered in Pyongyang, will no longer be able to operate internationally.