Posted April 01, 2017 11:26:11

Photo: US Defence Secretary James Mattis in London for talks with his British counterpart and the UK Prime Minister. (AP: Matt Dunham)

North Korea must be stopped on its path toward being able to threaten the United States with nuclear attack, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says, as the US imposes more sanctions on North Koreans for their links to the country's weapons programs.

Speaking on his first visit to Britain as Pentagon chief, Mr Mattis condemned North Korea and described the isolated communist country as the most immediate threat faced by the US.

"This is a threat of both rhetoric and growing capability," he said, alluding to the North's recent progress in building nuclear bombs and developing an intercontinental ballistic missile to deliver such weapons to US soil.

Experts believe North Korea will develop such capability in the next years, despite an array of international sanctions on the country.

The Trump administration has been conducting a broad policy review of North Korea that includes military options, but Mr Mattis stressed other approaches.

"We are working diplomatically, including with those that we might be able to enlist in this effort to get North Korea under control," he said.

"But right now it appears to be going in a very reckless manner. That's got to be stopped."

The United States sanctioned 11 North Koreans and one North Korean company on Friday for their links to the country's weapons programs, banks and commodities trade, the US Treasury said.

It said the people were working as agents of North Korea's Government in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cuba to provide financial support or help procure weapons for previously sanctioned companies.

"Today's sanctions are aimed at disrupting the networks and methods that the Government of North Korea employs to fund its unlawful nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programs," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

North Korea's launch of four ballistic missiles towards Japan has unnerved the US, and it has decided enough is enough, writes Philip Williams.

"I urge our partners and allies to take similar measures to cut off its funding."

Friday's actions by the administration of President Donald Trump do not represent a major ramp-up in North Korea sanctions and were issued under authorities established by former presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Two North Koreans based in China and one North Korean based in Cuba were blacklisted for ties to Korea Ryonbong General Corporation, a previously sanctioned company that "specialises in acquisition for North Korean defence industries and support to Pyongyang's military-related sales", the statement said.

Another worked for a North Korean trading company in Dalian, China, the US Treasury said.

It said six North Koreans based in Vietnam, China and Russia were sanctioned for their ties to North Korean banks.

The US measures on Friday block any property those on the sanctions list may have in the United States and bar Americans from dealing with them.

The Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions aimed at cutting North Korea off from the global financial system in order to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threat, as well as increased pressure on Chinese banks and firms that do business with North Korea.

Reuters/AP

Topics: nuclear-issues, government-and-politics, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, united-states