US issues new North Korea-related sanctions

Trump became the only US president to have met a North Korean leader when he held ​an unprecedented ​series of ⁠summits with Kim in 2018 and 2019. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

The United States issued new North Korea-related sanctions ​on Wednesday, targeting 10 individuals and one entity, ‌according to a notice posted to the Treasury Department's website.

The targeted entity is named the First Financial and Technical Development Center, ​and six of the sanctioned individuals are ​linked to that firm, according to the Treasury ⁠Department notice. 

Two of the targeted individuals are ​Russian nationals and the rest appear to be North ​Korean.

The sanctions come as US President Donald Trump has been eager to jump-start talks with North Korea, but Pyongyang ​has shown little interest in diplomacy aimed at ​containing its nuclear program. 

However, earlier this month Trump downplayed the ‌idea ⁠of another high-profile meeting with Kim in China next month.

Trump became the only US president to have met a North Korean leader when he held ​an unprecedented ​series of ⁠summits with Kim in 2018 and 2019, but the diplomatic efforts broke down ​over US demands that North Korea give ​up ⁠its nuclear weapons.

Trump has since referred to North Korea repeatedly as a "nuclear power," although his administration has ⁠continued ​to call for the country's denuclearization ​and has not formally recognized it as a nuclear-weapons state.