REUTERS

The names of the sanctions targets will be released when the measure is officially adopted on Friday, WSJ wrote.

However, the EU said in a news release that the 18 individuals are mostly high-ranking military officials involved in agencies responsible for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.

The sanctions include an asset freeze and travel restrictions. The EU has now placed sanctions on 66 people and 42 entities, the bloc said.

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Thursday's measures come on top of the EU's move in late March to implement new United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea over the rogue nation's missile tests.

Read alsoNorth Korea leader Kim says will not use nuclear arms unless threatenedEU officials said at the time that they were also considering imposing additional EU-specific sanctions on Kim Jung Un's regime.

North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6 and a ballistic missile launch a month later, despite standing U.N. resolutions and international warnings.

On March 2, a joint resolution by the U.S. and China and co-sponsored by 55 countries imposed unprecedented new sanctions on the regime.