The US, South Korea, And Japan Express Concerns Over North Korea's Cyber Activities In Supporting The Weapons Program

The United States, South Korea, and Japan expressed deep concern over North Korea's "evil activity". (photo: dock. Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The United States, South Korea, and Japan expressed deep concern over North Korea's "evil activity" in cyberspace to support their weapons program. This they conveyed in a joint statement released on Friday, April 7.

The cryptocurrency funds stolen by North Korean hackers have become the main source of financing for the country that is being hit by these sanctions in their weapons program, officials and experts in the United States and their allies said.

A report released by the United States Treasury Department on April 6 states that actors like North Korea are using decentralized finance (DeFi), a rapidly growing segment in the cryptocurrency sector, to transfer and launder money from their crimes.

North Korea has denied allegations of hacking or other cyberattacks.

Amid rising nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, South Korea's nuclear envoy held talks with colleagues from the United States and Japan in Seoul this week, condemning the country's weapons tests.

"We reiterate with concern that foreign IT workers from North Korea continue to use false identities and fake citizenship" to circumvent UN sanctions and raise funds for missile programs, the envoys jointly said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name.

They called on United Nations member countries to comply with UN Security Council resolutions in repatriating North Korean workers.

"We are also very concerned about how North Korea supports these programs by stealing and washing funds and gathering information through malicious activities in cyberspace," the statement said.

Voltage on the Korean Peninsula is increasing.

On Friday, North Korea did not respond to daily contacts via a telephone line connecting with South Korea, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry which handles inter-Korean affairs.

It's not clear why North Korea didn't respond, but the ministry said it would monitor the situation closely.

US and South Korean troops have carried out a series of annual spring military exercises since March.

In response to these exercises, Pyongyang has stepped up military activity in recent weeks. They revealed a smaller new nuclear chief and tested intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting areas anywhere in the United States.

On Thursday, April 6, North Korea accused Washington and Seoul of pushing tensions towards the brink of nuclear war through their military exercises.

Kim Gunn, South Korea's lead representative of nuclear negotiators, said North Korea's nuclear ambition was nothing more than a boom that damaged its own economy.

"North Korea directs its people to believe that nuclear weapons are magic sticks that can solve all of its problems," Kim said in a meeting with US and Japanese officials on Friday.

On Friday, Japan also announced an extension of a two-year trade ban with North Korea, with the exception for humanitarian reasons.