A bank and two trading companies in DPRK were cited in a new executive order issued by U.S. President George W. Bush as part of his administration's broad attempt to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The White House announced the order aimed at freezing the assets of citizens and companies suspected of colluding in proliferation.

Along with a Syrian research agency and three Iranian companies, DPRK's Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., Korea Ryongbong General Corp. and Tanchon Commercial Bank, all of Pyongyang, were listed as targets of the order.

The U.S. government has previously taken action against at least one of the three DPRK firms. It was not immediately clear if they had assets in the United States.

The measures are unlikely to affect DPRK directly because there are virtually no business relations between the United States and DPRK. But other foreign companies, particularly South Korean and Chinese firms with assets in the United States, could be affected.

The list of firms, including South Korean ones that do business with the three entities, will soon be made public, Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said.

As part of the measure, assets of persons and companies that have done business with any firms listed are to be seized as well if any of the transactions materially contributed to nuclear proliferation.

The United States has for years imposed sanctions and frozen all the assets it could of DPRK companies thought to be involved in selling missiles or in drug trafficking.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department's 2004 report to Congress on assets held by terrorist groups, the United States has already frozen $32 million in DPRK assets in the United States.

Meanwhile, U.S. and DPRK officials are scheduled to attend a conference in New York. Joseph DeTrani, special envoy for the six-party talks, and James Foster, State Department director of Korean affairs, will attend a discussion Thursday hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, and Ri Gun, director of U.S. affairs at Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry will also participate.

Source: Agencies