The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

  • Last revised:27 June 2025

Purpose of the Sanctions Regime

This sanctions regime gives effect to the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

It aims to restrict the ability of the DPRK to carry on banned programmes, promoting the abandonment by the DPRK of banned programmes and the decommissioning of the DPRK’s banned weapons. It also aims to promote peace, security and stability on the Korean peninsula.

Overview of current sanctions measures

Current sanctions measures implemented by Jersey in relation to DPRK include:

  • asset freezes and restrictions on making funds and economic resources available to or for the benefit of designated persons
  • prohibitions relating to investment, financial services and financial markets
  • travel ban
  • prohibitions against the export, import, supply and delivery, sale and purchase, and transfer of goods and technology
  • prohibitions against providing technical assistance, financial services and funds, or brokering services relating to restricted goods and restricted technology
  • prohibitions relating to bank notes, diamonds, gold, and other precious metals
  • prohibitions relating to mining, manufacturing and computer services
  • prohibitions relating to the provision of services to ships and aircraft
  • director disqualification sanctions

Latest news

9 April 2025

The UK Sanctions List has been updated, with amendments related to director disqualification sanctions to vary the designations of 2996 individuals and 818 entities.

 

*All published Latest News notices relating to financial sanctions, including those extending beyond the last 30 days, may be obtained from the Jersey Gazette

Jersey regime

The Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Implementation of External Sanctions) (Jersey) Order 2021 (the Jersey Order)  implements the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the UK Regulations).

Article 3 of the Jersey Order imposes the asset-freeze provisions in Part 3 of the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Jersey) Law 2019 (the SAFL) on any person listed by or under the UK Regulations. The Part 3 provisions also include, but are not limited to, Articles 15-17 of the SAFL on exceptions, licences, and circumventing prohibitions etc.

Offences

The offences for this regime are set out in both the SAFL and the Jersey Order.

Reporting obligations

Reporting obligations are set out at Article 32 of the SAFL and apply to all regimes in force. These obligations include requirements for a relevant financial institution to inform the Minister if:

  • it holds an account of a person, has entered into dealings or an agreement with a person or has been approached by or on behalf of a person, and
  • it knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that the person:
    • is a designated person, or;
    • has committed, is committing or intends to commit an offence under this Law, and
  • the information or other matter on which the knowledge or reasonable cause for suspicion is based came to it in the course of carrying on its business.

Licences and exceptions

A Jersey General Licence, granted by the Minister, allows multiply parties to conduct specified activities that would otherwise be restricted by sanctions measures. Supervised persons must ensure that their activities are within the scope of the General Licence's terms and that they adhere to all its conditions.

The Minister may also grant a specific licence under the SAFL and/or the Jersey Order.

To apply for a specific sanctions licence a supervised person must complete the relevant Sanctions form and return the completed form to sanctions@gov.je.

The FSIU provides guidance on sanctions licences and exceptions  on the Government of Jersey website Sanctions.

Legal acts

Jersey

United Kingdom

  • The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Regulations (Sanctions) (EU Exit) 2019
  • The Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019
  • The Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2020
  • The Sanctions (EU Exit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.3) Regulations 2020

United Nations Security Council

Further information

Useful information is provided on GOV UK:

Sanctions evasion typologies examples: