"Publication of North Korea Sanctions and Enforcement Actions Advisory: Risks for Businesses with Supply Chain Links to North Korea", 23 July 2018

Today the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued an Advisory on Sanctions Risks for Businesses with Supply Chain Links to North Korea.  The Advisory highlights the sanctions evasion tactics used by North Korea that could expose businesses – including manufacturers, buyers, and service providers – to sanctions compliance risks under U.S. or United Nations sanctions authorities.  It also seeks to assist businesses in complying with the requirements under  Title III, the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and in implementing effective due diligence policies, procedures, and internal controls to ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements across their supply chain.

The Advisory provides detailed information regarding North Korean forced labor.  North Korean laborers often work between 12 and 16 (and sometimes up to 20) hours per day, with only one or two rest days per month.  In most cases, employers pay salaries directly to the North Korean government, which takes between 70 percent and 90 percent of the total earnings.  The North Korean government reportedly receives hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars from this system per year. 

This advisory will be also published in English, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

All links:

English-language PDF Version click here.

English-language HTML version click here.

Translations to be posted here.