China and South Korea have intensified their efforts to enforce the sanctions against North Korea with the mainland recently barring a North Korean freighter from one of its ports and Seoul stepping up its crackdown on individuals and business entities believed to have contributed to Pyongyang's development of its nuclear programme.

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Beijing reportedly barred a freighter from North Korea, which arrived last week at the Rizhao port  in northeastern China. An employee at the Rizhao Maritime Authority said the North Korean general cargo ship Grand Karo was not allowed to berth when it reached the Chinese port.

The ship is one  of the 31 vessels blacklisted by China's Transport Ministry as part of the United Nations-backed harsh sanctions against Pyongyang.

                                                                   Blacklisted vessels

Reports indicate that two more North Korean ships blacklisted by China were anchored off Chinese ports and sailed away after being denied entry.

The 6,593 deadweight tonne (dwt) Grand Karo is reported to be anchored about 35 km (22 miles) from Rizhao.

"If non-sanctioned North Korean ships enter the port, officials will ask senior authorities for instructions on how to deal with them," an official from Rizhao Maritime Authority said.

                                                                  Financial entities

Meanwhile, the Seoul announced on Tuesday that it was imposing harsh sanctions on 40 individuals and 31 financial entities, who are believed to have aided and continue to aid North Korea in its development of nuclear program.

"We will expand financial sanctions related to North Korea, including 38 North Korean individuals and 24 entities responsible for developing weapons of mass destruction, and two individuals and six entities of third countries that have indirectly supported the North," said a statement issued by the South Korean foreign ministry.

Reports indicate that at least two businessmen from Singapore and Taiwan, who head a trading firm and shipping company, which are part of  Seoul's blacklisted companies, will be slapped with financial sanctions after they were found to have funded North Korea's development of its missile and nuclear programs.                                                                                                                            

The business entities blacklisted by South Korea include Mariner's Shipping and Trading, a Thailand shipping firm and Taiwan's Royal Team Corporation.

Seoul said the entities on the blacklist will be banned from transacting business with Pyongyang and will be punished by freezing their assets should they defy the UN sanctions. 

TagsSouth Korea, blacklisted vessels, Nuclear program, Pyongyang, china, Grand Karo