Radio France Internationale (RFI) Chinese Edition recently reported that North Korea is circumventing UN sanctions by using cryptocurrencies to trade weapons and raw materials. The DPRK is also sending computer programmers abroad to launder money and earn foreign currency.
Under Kim Jong-un’s leadership, Pyongyang has seen a significant increase in initiation of cyberattacks. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), which oversees UN sanctions against North Korea, found that North Korean hackers stole at least US$1.65 billion between January and September 2025, of which US$1.4 billion was stolen from the cryptocurrency exchange Bybi in February alone. North Korean officials also use stablecoins (cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar) for procurement-related transactions, including the sale and transfer of military supplies and raw materials such as copper.
In the meantime, North Korea has also circumvented UN sanctions by sending IT professionals to work in at least eight countries. Most of these individuals have been sent to China, but some have also gone to Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Nigeria, and Tanzania. MSMT cited a 2024 report by the U.S. think tank 38 North, saying that some North Korean IT experts concealed their identities and successfully undertook outsourcing work for animation projects from Japanese and U.S. companies, including Amazon and HBO Max. South Korean intelligence agencies say North Korean spies are also using the social networking platform LinkedIn to impersonate recruiters and lure employees of South Korean defense companies.
Source: RFI Chinese, October 25, 2025
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