According to South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na, the country’s authorities, like their American counterparts, are ready to reconsider sanctions against North Korea.
Coordination between South Korea and the United States is important to combat the theft of cryptocurrency by North Korean hackers, which could be used to fund North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and pose a threat to our digital ecosystem, she said in an interview with local media.
North Korea has long used hacker groups like Lazarus and Kimsuky to attack the cryptocurrency sector. The scammers use all stolen funds to finance Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
To curb these operations, the United States imposed sanctions and took other measures to cut off North Korean authorities’ illicit sources of income.
North Korea relies on a vast network of North Korean financial institution representatives located around the world to provide access to international markets and financial systems in support of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said.
According to South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister, «coordination between South Korean authorities and the United States is important to mitigate these digital threats.»
South Korea is making concerted efforts to curb illegal activities, and in this context, we may consider revising sanctions if they are truly necessary, the official said.