(a) Exemptions

The following activities shall be exempt from sanctions under sections 9214, 9221a, 9221b, 9221c, 9226, 9229, 9241a, 9241b, and 9243 of this title:

(1) Activities subject to the reporting requirements under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.), or to any authorized intelligence activities of the United States.

(2) Any transaction necessary to comply with United States obligations under the Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, or under the Convention on Consular Relations, done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered into force March 19, 1967, or under other international agreements.

(3) Any activities incidental to the POW/MIA accounting mission in North Korea, including activities by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and other governmental or nongovernmental organizations tasked with identifying or recovering the remains of members of the United States Armed Forces in North Korea.

(b) Humanitarian waiver

(1) In general

The President may waive, for renewable periods of between 30 days and 1 year, the application of the sanctions authorized under section 9214, 9221a, 9221b, 9221c, 9224, 9225, 9226, 9229(b), 9241a, 9241b, or 9243(b) of this title if the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees a written determination that the waiver is necessary for humanitarian assistance or to carry out the humanitarian purposes set forth section 7802 of this title.

(2) Content of written determination

A written determination submitted under paragraph (1) with respect to a waiver shall include a description of all notification and accountability controls that have been employed in order to ensure that the activities covered by the waiver are humanitarian assistance or are carried out for the purposes set forth in section 7802 of this title and do not entail any activities in North Korea or dealings with the Government of North Korea not reasonably related to humanitarian assistance or such purposes.

(3) Clarification of permitted activities under waiver

An internationally recognized humanitarian organization shall not be subject to sanctions under section 9214, 9221a, 9221b, 9221c, 9224, 9225, 9226, 9229(b), 9241a, 9241b, or 9243(b) of this title for—

(A) engaging in a financial transaction relating to humanitarian assistance or for humanitarian purposes pursuant to a waiver issued under paragraph (1);

(B) transporting goods or services that are necessary to carry out operations relating to humanitarian assistance or humanitarian purposes pursuant to such a waiver; or

(C) having merely incidental contact, in the course of providing humanitarian assistance or aid for humanitarian purposes pursuant to such a waiver, with individuals who are under the control of a foreign person subject to sanctions under this chapter.

(c) Waiver

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The President may waive, on a case-by-case basis, for renewable periods of between 30 days and 1 year, the application of the sanctions authorized under section 9214, 9221a, 9221b, 9221c, 9221(c)(2), 9224, 9225, 9226, 9229(b), 9241a, 9241b, or 9243(b) of this title if the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees a written determination that the waiver—

(1) is important to the national security interests of the United States; or

(2) will further the enforcement of this chapter or is for an important law enforcement purpose.

(d) Financial services for humanitarian and consular activities

The President may promulgate such regulations, rules, and policies as may be necessary to facilitate the provision of financial services by a foreign financial institution that is not a North Korean financial institution in support of activities conducted pursuant to an exemption or waiver under this section.