Seoul imposes new export curbs on North Korea targeting materials for solid-fuel missiles

FILE PHOTO: Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile launch drill

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea announced on Thursday new export controls on materials needed to produce solid-fuel missiles in order to restrict North Korea's ballistic missile development, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

The export controls will cover 15 items that North Korea finds difficult to produce on its own, such as fuselages and combustion tubes, and is expected to tighten the sanctions net targeting North Korea by reinforcing existing international export controls, the ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies)