FOXNews.com: Bipartisan group of lawmakers introduce tough North Korea sanctions bill

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Bipartisan group of lawmakers introduce tough North Korea sanctions bill Apr 27th 2013, 04:00 North Korean soldiers march in front of flower waving civilians.AP WASHINGTON –  Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the House are proposing to step up sanctions against North Korea amid growing concern over its nuclear programs as Pyongyang plans to indict an American detained for alleged hostile acts against the country. The bill, crafted by leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and introduced Friday, would punish companies, banks and governments that do prohibited business with North Korea. Congressional staffers say it's intended not only to improve enforcement of existing sanctions, but also to expand them. The bill is modeled on sanctions in force against Iran. The measure reflects growing concern over North Korea's nuclear weapon and missile development, and frustration over the failure of U.S. policy to stop it. The bill was introduced by Reps. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. Its prospects for becoming law are uncertain. The draft bill does not name any particular entities but potentially could impact companies and banks in China through which the North conducts most of its business. The draft gives the president authority to sanction governments for illicit dealings with North Korea but also authority to waive the bill's provisions on a case-by-case basis on national security grounds. The legislation could irk Beijing at a time when the Obama administration seeks greater Chinese cooperation in pressuring Pyongyang to end war threats and honor past commitments on denuclearization. Beijing signed up for the toughest U.N. sanctions yet on North Korea in response to a nuclear test in February. But Royce has called for tougher unilateral steps, as the U.S. government did in 2005 against a Macau-based bank because it held about $25 million in North Korean funds. That measure had a significant impact, but proved complicated to undo when nuclear negotiations with North Korea finally got back on track. Meanwhile, a report from the official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday confirmed the pending indictment of Kenneth Bae, a 44-year-old tour operator of Korean descent who was reportedly detained after traveling to North Korea in November, according to The Associated Press. Bae's indictment comes amid high tension between Pyongyang and Washington, with North Korea intensifying its war rhetoric against the United States and South Korea. He is the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The other Americans were eventually deported or released after high-profile diplomatic interventions, including some involving former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Analysts say the North will likely soon hand Bae a harsh punishment to use him as a bargaining chip in possible negotiations with the United States. "The preliminary inquiry into crimes committed by American citizen Pae Jun Ho closed," the official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief report. "In the process of investigation he admitted that he committed crimes aimed to topple the DPRK with hostility toward it. His crimes were proved by evidence." DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Under North Korea's criminal code, terrorist acts include murdering, kidnapping and injuring the country's citizens can lead to a death sentence or life in jail. North Korea and the United States fought the 1950-53 Korean War and still don't have diplomatic relations. The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the United States. KCNA didn't say when Bae's trial will take place or what the charges were. North Korea's state media and the U.S. government have made little information about Bae public. But his friends, colleagues and South Korean activists specializing in North Korea affairs said Bae is a Christian missionary based in a Chinese border town who frequently made trips to North Korea to feed orphans there. It is not known whether he tried to evangelize while in North Korea. Officially, North Korea guarantees freedom of religion. In practice, authorities crack down on Christians, who are seen as Western-influenced threats to the government. The distribution of Bibles and secret prayer services can mean banishment to a labor camp or execution, defectors from the country have said. In 2009, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were arrested and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for trespassing and unspecified hostile acts. They were freed later that year after former President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang to negotiate their release. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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