By Michael Hernandez</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. sanctioned three North Korean officials Monday, including Pyongyang's minister of state security, for alleged human rights abuses and censorship. </p> <p>Jong Kyong Thaek was blacklisted alongside Choe Ryong Hae, whom the Treasury Department said is the director of North Korea's Organization and Guidance Department. </p> <p>The Treasury Department said the Korean agency is "instrumental" in Pyongyang's censorship efforts, and described Choe as the "number two" within North Korea's ruling party. </p> <p>Washington also designated Pak Kwang Ho, whom the U.S. said is the director of North Korea's Propaganda and Agitation Department. </p> <p>It described Pak's primary responsibility as "maintaining ideological purity and managing the general censorship functions" of his department, which allegedly includes restricting freedom of speech.</p> <p>“Treasury is sanctioning senior North Korean officials who direct departments that perpetrate the regime’s brutal state-sponsored censorship activities, human rights violations and abuses, and other abuses in order to suppress and control the population,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. </p> <p>"These sanctions demonstrate the United States’ ongoing support for freedom of expression, and opposition to endemic censorship and human rights abuses," he added. </p> <p>The economic penalties come in conjunction with a State Department report detailing North Korea’s alleged human rights abuses and censorship efforts.
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