Stay Away: Why US, Japan, South Korea want the world to strictly ban North Korean workers

The United States and its allies South Korea and Japan want the international community to bolster its efforts to ban North Korean workers. They have urged United Nations member states to strictly enforce UN Security Council resolutions on North Korean workers. The development comes as top South Korean, US and Japanese nuclear envoys met in Seoul on Friday (7 April) to deliberate on how to cope with North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenal, reported Associated Press (AP). But, what is the concern behind this request? Let’s take a closer look. North Koreans working overseas Seoul’s foreign ministry said that there are still people from North Korea that are working abroad and sending money that is being used by Pyongyang to fund its nuclear programme. Under a 2017 UN resolution, all member states had agreed to repatriate all North Koreans employed overseas by December 2019. In a joint statement, the South Korean, US and Japanese envoys called on the UN member states to abide by UN resolutions banning North Korean workers overseas, reported AP citing the ministry. The ministry pointed out that the envoys brought focus on North Korean workers as the Hermit Kingdom is expected to further reopen its international borders as the COVID-19 situation improves globally. [caption id=“attachment_12427172” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The US, Japan and South Korea have called on United Nations member states to strictly enforce UN Security Council resolutions banning North Korean workers. AP[/caption] The exact number of North Koreans workers currently engaged in economic activities overseas is unknown. However, before the 2019 UN deadline, there were 1,00,000 North Koreans estimated to be working in factories, construction sites and other places around the world, according to the US State Department. It was predicted that these workers were responsible for North Korea’s $200 million to $500 million in annual revenue, the AP report said. ALSO READ: North Korea unveils new nuclear warheads: How the country has expanded its arsenal ‘Malicious’ cyber-activities The three envoys also expressed concern over North Korea’s “malicious” cyber activities to bolster its weapons programme. “We reiterate with concern that overseas DPRK IT workers continue using forged identities and nationalities” to dodge UN sanctions and generate funds for missile programmes, they said in the joint statement using the acronym for North Korea’s official name – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “We are also deeply concerned about how the DPRK supports these programmes by stealing and laundering funds as well as gathering information through malicious cyber activities,” the statement further said, according to Reuters. In a report on 6 April, US Treasury Department had said that cyber actors like North Korea were using decentralised finance (DeFi) – a model in the crypto sector – to transfer and launder their unlawful funds. Officials and experts in the US and its allies claim that cryptocurrency funds stolen by North Korean hackers are used by sanctions-hit Pyongyang to support its weapons programmes, reported Reuters. As per AP, experts say other illicit cyber activities and money sent by the remaining North Korean workers in China, Russia and other places are also sources for financing the programme. Last December, National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s spy agency, claimed that in the last five years, North Korean hackers had stolen approximately 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets, reported AP. 

Over 50 per cent of this was done in 2022 alone.

The agency also said that North Korea was one of the best in the world in terms of stealing digital assets as it has focused on cybercrimes since it was hit by UN sanctions in 2017 over its nuclear and missile tests. North Korea denies charges of hacking or other cybercrimes. Ahead of the Friday meeting, Kim Gunn, the South Korean envoy, said: “We need to make sure that its provocations never go unpunished. We will effectively counter North Korea’s future provocations and cut their revenue streams that fund these illegal activities". As per AP, Sung Kim, the US envoy, said that with its weapons programme and “malicious cyber programme that targets countries and individuals around the globe,” North Korea is a threat to security and prosperity worldwide. North Korea’s expanding arsenal North Korea has been rapidly ramping up its nuclear arsenal, especially since Kim Jong Un came to power in late 2011. The East Asian nation has carried out six nuclear tests since 2006, with the last test being in 2017. However, concerns are rife that North may conduct another atomic test in the future. [caption id=“attachment_12427192” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] North Korea has increased its missile tests recently. Reuters File Photo[/caption] It also conducts weapons tests as a response to joint South Korean-US military drills, which Pyongyang considers an invasion rehearsal. Since March, US and South Korean forces have been conducting annual spring military exercises, including air and sea drills. This has hugely angered North Korea which has increased its military activities in recent weeks. Accusing South Korea and US of heightening tensions to the “brink of nuclear war” through their joint military drills, Pyongyang on Thursday pledged to respond with “offensive action”. Although it has still not reacted, Friday’s trilateral meeting is expected to further raise North Korea’s hackles. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.