The British government on Monday singled out North Korea's state security and police force for their role in operating the country's notorious system of political prison camps. The move is part of a greater wave of new sanctions targeting serious human rights violations around the world.

The new measures -- which also target alleged human rights abuses by Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Myanmar's governments -- involve asset freezes on the DPRK's Ministry of State Security (MSS), as well as the Ministry of People’s Security (MPS) Correctional Bureau.