Seoul has welcomed Washington’s fresh sanction measure against North Korea over its human rights violations, which for the first time put North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the target list.

In a statement issued under the signature of Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck on Thursday, the South Korean government assessed the significance of the sanctions, saying it is the first sanction measure an individual country has imposed on the North regarding its human rights issues.

The government also said it takes note of the fact that the U.S. made it clearer which individuals and entities in the North Korean regime are responsible for human rights abuses.

In the statement, Seoul also praised Washington’s resolve to continuously strengthen sanctions on Pyongyang, mentioning the implementation of North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act (H.R. 757) in February, the issuance of the Executive Order 13722 in March, and the designation of the regime as a primary money laundering concern last month.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced a list of sanctions consisting of 15 North Korean individuals and eight entities, including North Korean leader Kim, marking the first time a top leader in the North becomes subject to U.S. sanctions.