Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§9241b Sanctions on foreign persons employing North Korean labor

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 99— - NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS AND POLICY ENHANCEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS › § 9241b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must designate people identified elsewhere in the law for sanctions if they employ North Korean labor. Those sanctions, using emergency economic powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, freeze and block all of the person’s property and stop all transactions in that property if the property is in the United States, comes into the United States, or is held or controlled by a U.S. person. A person cannot be designated if the President tells Congress he has reliable assurances that (1) the work does not send convertible currency, luxury goods, or other stores of value to the North Korean government, (2) wages and benefits go directly to the workers and are kept in local-currency accounts where the workers live, and (3) working conditions meet international standards. The President must send a recertification every 180 days that these conditions still hold, or if he cannot send it, he must start the sanctions on the day he decides he cannot send the recertification.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §9241b

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (c), the President shall designate any person identified under section 9241(b)(3) of this title for the imposition of sanctions under subsection (b).
(b)(1)The President shall impose the sanctions described in paragraph (2) with respect to any person designated under subsection (a).
(2)The sanctions described in this paragraph are sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests in property of a person designated under subsection (a), if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.
(c)(1)A person may not be designated under subsection (a) if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the President has received reliable assurances from such person that—
(A)the employment of North Korean laborers does not result in the direct or indirect transfer of convertible currency, luxury goods, or other stores of value to the Government of North Korea;
(B)all wages and benefits are provided directly to the laborers, and are held, as applicable, in accounts within the jurisdiction in which they reside in locally denominated currency; and
(C)the laborers are subject to working conditions consistent with international standards.
(2)Not later than 180 days after the date on which the President transmits to the appropriate congressional committees an initial certification under paragraph (1), and every 180 days thereafter, the President shall—
(A)transmit a recertification stating that the conditions described in such paragraph continue to be met; or
(B)if such recertification cannot be transmitted, impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) beginning on the date on which the President determines that such recertification cannot be transmitted.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is title II of Pub. L. 95–223, Dec. 28, 1977, 91 Stat. 1626, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of Title 50 and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 9241b

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73