Sat Oct 25 03:14:15 UTC 2025: Headline: North Korea Evades Sanctions Through Crypto, IT Workers, and Arms Deals, Sanctions Monitor Finds
Seoul – October 25, 2025 – North Korea is actively circumventing United Nations sanctions through sophisticated cyber operations, the deployment of IT workers abroad, and the use of cryptocurrency to trade raw materials and military weaponry, according to a new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). The report, released Wednesday, details how Pyongyang, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, is increasingly relying on illicit activities to fund its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.
The MSMT found that North Korea’s cyber forces stole at least $1.65 billion in cryptocurrency between January and September 2025, including $1.4 billion from the crypto exchange Bybit in February. This is in addition to the $1.2 billion in ill-gotten cryptocurrency gains reported in 2024. The funds are then funneled into North Korea’s prohibited weapons programs.
The report also alleges that North Korean officials are using stablecoins to procure military equipment and raw materials, including copper used in munitions production.
Further evading sanctions, North Korea has been sending IT workers to at least eight countries, including China, Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Nigeria, and Tanzania. MSMT also found that North Korea was planning to send “40,000 labourers to Russia, including several delegations of IT workers”.
The report also highlights North Korea’s growing relationship with Russia, with Pyongyang providing weapons and troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. In return, North Korea is receiving crucial backing from Russia.
The MSMT also cited a 2024 report indicating North Korean IT workers, disguising their nationalities, secured contracts with Japanese and US companies, including Amazon and HBO Max. Amazon stated that while they worked with an animation studio that subcontracted workers allegedly involved in the scheme, those workers were not directly employed by Amazon and did not have access to internal systems. HBO has not yet commented.
The MSMT comprises Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK and the United States. Launched last October, the independent body monitors and reports on violations of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
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