North Korea has continued to develop its nuclear arsenal and missile capabilities over the past year, despite international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, according to a United Nations confidential report released to AFP on Saturday.
“Cyber-attacks, especially on cryptocurrencies, remain a significant source of revenue for the North Korean government,” the statement said, referring to the 15-member Security Council.
“The amount of illicit imports of refined oil has risen sharply over the past year, but has remained ‘much lower than in previous years,'” said a text by UN experts overseeing the implementation of the arms embargo and economic sanctions imposed on North Korea.
In the field of armaments, which the international community is trying to reduce, Pyongyang “continued to maintain and develop its nuclear programs and ballistic missiles in violation of Security Council resolutions,” experts said.
“Although no nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missiles have been recorded, North Korea has continued to develop its capabilities to produce fissile nuclear material,” they added.
For more than a year now, Pyongyang has been demonstrating “increased rapid development capabilities, broad mobility (and at sea) and improved missile-powered forces,” the statement said.
“The maintenance and development of nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missiles has continued,” and the country “continues to research materials, technology and know-how for its programs abroad, utilizing information systems and joint scientific research,” he said. with the report.
UN experts also say they have found that North Korean leaders have cut off imports of luxury goods, especially expensive cars such as those made in previous years.
North Korea has been subject to international sanctions since 2006, which were strengthened three times in 2017, when US President Donald Trump was president.
The Security Council requested that in addition to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ongoing inspections in Iran, that it monitor Iran’s compliance with “the steps required by the IAEA Board”.
However, there has never been a unanimity on the issue of North Korean armaments in the US since 2017, which happened once again at its closed-door meeting on Friday, which was called by Washington to condemn Pyongyang’s recent missile tests.
To overcome the stalemate, China and Russia have offered to consider easing sanctions on humanitarian grounds, but the idea has been flatly rejected by the West. Moscow and Beijing are expected to raise the issue again tomorrow, Monday, during a debate in the Security Council on the harmful effects of sanctions imposed by Russia.
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