Seoul, Jumada I 10, 1437, Feb 19, 2016, SPA -- South Korea Friday welcomed stronger US sanctions on North Korea, after Pyongyang's nuclear and rocket tests earlier this year provoked international condemnation, dpa reported. The new sanctions "demonstrate the US' strong will to respond sternly to North Korea's provocations," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by Yonhap News Agency. The US sanctions mean anyone who supports the regime in Pyongyang in its nuclear and missiles programmes, in particular financially, can be punished in the US. They also contain measures against anyone involved in cyber warfare and human rights violations. The bill, which was passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed into law Thursday, comes after official measures against Pyongyang were imposed by South Korea and Japan. --SPA 10:52 LOCAL TIME 07:52 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w