By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – North Korea continues to develop nuclear and missile capabilities. According to Reuters, cyberattacks against cryptocurrency exchanges have been a major source of revenue for Pyongyang. This is according to an extract from a classified United Nations report that was seen by Reuters on Saturday.

Independent sanctions monitors submitted Friday night the annual report to U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions Committee.

Experts wrote that DPRK did not report any nuclear test or launches of ICBMs (intercontinental missiles), but it continued to build its capabilities for nuclear fisile materials production.

North Korea officially refers to itself as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The U.N. Security Council has for years banned North Korea from carrying out nuclear testing and missile launches.

The report stated that DPRK maintained and developed its nuclear and missile systems, while DPRK sought material, technology, and know-how to support these programs abroad, using cyber methods and joint scientific research.

North Korea is subject to U.N. sanctions since 2006 in order to stop funding Pyongyang’s ballistic and nuclear missile programs.

Monitoring the sanctions found that Pyongyang had “markedly increased” its missile testing.

The United States and others said https://www.reuters.com/world/china/want-north-korea-breakthrough-china-tells-us-show-flexibility-2022-02-04 on Friday that North Korea had carried out nine ballistic missile launches in January, adding it was the largest number in a single month in the history of the country’s weapons of mass destruction and missile programs.

The sanctions monitors stated that the DPRK had demonstrated greater capabilities for quick deployment and wide mobility (both at sea) as well as improved resilience to its missile forces.

The North Korean mission in New York to the United Nations did not respond immediately to our request for comment.

CYBERATTACKS, ILLICIT TRADE

Monitors stated that cyberattacks on cryptocurrency assets remain a major revenue source for North Korea. They also received evidence that North Korean hackers continue to attack financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges.

According to the report, DPRK hackers stole over $50 million from cryptocurrency exchanges across North America, Europe, and Asia between 2020 and mid-2021.

Monitoring also pointed to a Chainalysis cybersecurity report last month that claimed that North Korea has launched at most seven attacks against cryptocurrency platforms, which resulted in the theft of nearly $400 Million worth digital assets.

U.N. sanctions monitors revealed that North Korea has generated approximately $2 billion to fund its weapon of mass destruction programs by using sophisticated cyberattacks and other widespread methods.

Latest report says that North Korea’s rigid blockade of the COVID-19 epidemic has led to “illicit trade in luxury and other goods having largely stopped.”

The U.N. Security Council banned North Korean exports over the years, including iron, steel, lead and textiles. It also capped the imports and refinements of petroleum products.

The monitors stated that although maritime coal exports to DPRK increased during the second half 2021, the levels were still low.

According to the report, “The illicit imports of refined oil rose sharply over the same time period,” but it was much less than the previous years. The report stated that direct delivery to DPRK by non DPRK-tankers has been stopped. This is likely in response to COVID-19.

The report stated that North Korea’s humanitarian crisis “continues” to worsen. Monitors stated that this was likely due to the COVID-19 Blockade. However, it wasn’t possible to establish how many civilians were being hurt by U.N. Sanctions because there was not enough information.