South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Friday welcomed the effectuation of a U.S. law that hits North Korea with a package of stringent sanctions, anticipating it will help curb Pyongyang's provocative behavior.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a North Korea sanctions bill that Congress overwhelmingly passed last week in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and long-range rocket tests.

"The bill was the first one exclusively targeting North Korea, which was passed in an unusually expeditious fashion. We expect it to provide a platform for the U.S. to take strong and effective measures (against North Korea)," the ministry said in a statement.

"We believe that the act demonstrates the U.S.' strong will to respond sternly to North Korea's provocations of nuclear and missile tests."

The statement also said that the effectuation of the act will strengthen the concerted efforts by the international community to make Pyongyang "pay the price" for its latest provocations.

"Our government, in tandem with the international community, will seek to take all possible measures to make North Korea renounce its nuclear program and change course," the statement added.

The sanctions bill (H.R.757) calls for imposing mandatory sanctions on those assisting Pyongyang due to its nuclear and missile programs, cyberattacks, human rights abuses and imports of luxury goods.

It is also aimed at choking off sources of cash for the regime by sanctioning trade in coal, minerals and precious metals, as well as blacklisting those helping with Pyongyang's money laundering, counterfeiting, cash smuggling and narcotics trafficking. (Yonhap)