By chatnewstv.com
UNITED NATIONS — The United States and a coalition of international partners released a sweeping report Monday detailing how North Korea has transformed into a global cyber-theft superpower, stealing billions in cryptocurrency to fund its prohibited nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The findings, presented at the United Nations by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), reveal that North Korean hackers stole more than $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025 alone. The total includes $400 million snatched in just the last three months, according to a State Department fact sheet.
Officials warned that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has developed a cyber program with a “level of sophistication approaching that of China and Russia,” posing a pervasive threat to global infrastructure.
“The DPRK routinely violates UN Security Council resolutions through malicious cyber and IT worker activities,” the Office of the Spokesperson said in a statement. “These activities generate revenue for the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.”
The 140-page report, which includes previously classified intelligence from 11 UN member states and nine private-sector companies, identifies over 40 countries targeted by Pyongyang’s digital operatives. The report specifically names defense companies in North America, Europe, and Asia as primary targets for the theft of intellectual property related to missile development.
A central pillar of the scheme involves a global network of IT workers living abroad under false identities. While an estimated 1,500 workers are currently based in China, the report highlights a massive expansion plan to send up to 40,000 laborers, including IT specialists, to Russia.
These workers do more than just generate remote income; they are increasingly involved in “data extortion and cryptocurrency theft,” according to the MSMT.
The report also shines a light on the financial pipelines used to clean the stolen money. It alleges that at least 19 Chinese banks have been used to launder funds, while over-the-counter traders in China serve as the “key” to converting digital loot into spendable fiat currency.
Beyond China and Russia, the report identifies facilitator networks in Cambodia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates, and places IT workers in African nations including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea.
The MSMT was established to fill the monitoring gap left after Russia vetoed the renewal of a UN panel of experts last year. U.S. officials described this latest report as an “unprecedented effort” to hold the Kim Jong Un regime accountable by exposing the granular details of its illicit financial operations.
