The United Nations reported that North Korea persisted in bolstering its nuclear and ballistic missile weapons in the past year, and Pyongyang's primary sources of revenue are cryptocurrency trades and cyberattacks.
The confidential report obtained by Reuters on Saturday was submitted to the UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee.
An excerpt says that though there were no reported nuclear tests or launches of ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), "DPRK continued to develop its capability for the production of nuclear fissile materials."
The report said that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea's official name, continued to "seek material, technology, and know-how for these programs overseas. "
The United Nations has long prohibited DPRK from conducting nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles, which has been under UN sanctions since 2006. The UN Security Council has reinforced sanctions throughout the years in an attempt to cut off revenue for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile development.
The sanctions monitors noted that there had been a "marked acceleration" of missile testing by Pyongyang and demonstrated "increased capabilities for rapid deployment, wide mobility (including at sea), and improved resilience of its missile forces."
North Korea launched nine ballistic missiles in January, according to the US and other nations, the most in a single month in the country's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs' history.
Pyongyang Hackers Stole Hundreds of Millions in 2021
The monitors also mentioned in the report that cyberattacks, particularly on cryptocurrency assets", remain an important revenue source" for North Korea. Based on the obtained information, hackers from DPRK continued to target financial institutions, cryptocurrency firms, and exchanges.
According to the report, DPRK cyber attackers stole more than $50 million between 2020 and mid-2021 from at least three cryptocurrency exchanges in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The report also mentioned that DPRK initiated not less than seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms in 2021, stealing around $400 million in digital assets based on a report by cybersecurity firm Chainalysis.
North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York has not issued a response to the matter as of present writing.
US Urged To Show Sincerity to North Korea
Meanwhile, China urged the United States to show "more sincerity and flexibility" in negotiating with North Korea, per Al Jazeera.
Ahead of a closed-door meeting, the Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun encouraged US officials to come up with "more attractive and more practical, more flexible approaches, policies and actions and accommodating the concerns of the DPRK" if they want to see "breakthroughs."
Washington had proposed a UN joint statement condemning North Korea's missile launches, but China and Russia, along with other nations, negated signing on it.
"What I see is the key in solving this issue is already in the hands of the United States," Zhang said, per CBS17.
After the discussion, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, remarked that the proposal of China and Russia to ease sanctions on North Korea's continued missile launching is not valid.
"To spend millions of dollars on military tests when your people are starving indicates that this country does not care about its own people," she told the members of the press.
