The United States and South Korea have both sanctioned a North Korean who was allegedly involved in laundering virtual currency to help finance his country's weapons programs.
The US Treasury Department announced in a statement on Monday that it had added three individuals, including the North Korean and a Chinese man, to a list of sanction targets whose assets are frozen.
The department said that the Chinese man is a China-based virtual currency trader who facilitated the conversion of virtual currency stolen by North Korean hackers -- including the Lazarus Group -- to fiat currency.
The Lazarus Group is said to be controlled by the North Korean government.
The US Treasury also said the North Korean man, who is a senior official at a North Korean bank, appears to have been directing the Chinese trader and others to send funds derived from stolen virtual currency to North Korean front companies.
The US Treasury criticized North Korea for laundering stolen virtual currency to "support the regime and its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs."
South Korea also announced on Monday that it had added the North Korean banker to its list of sanction targets.
The US and South Korea are working together to increase pressure on Pyongyang as it accelerates its nuclear and missile development programs.
The US Treasury Department announced in a statement on Monday that it had added three individuals, including the North Korean and a Chinese man, to a list of sanction targets whose assets are frozen.
The department said that the Chinese man is a China-based virtual currency trader who facilitated the conversion of virtual currency stolen by North Korean hackers -- including the Lazarus Group -- to fiat currency.
The Lazarus Group is said to be controlled by the North Korean government.
The US Treasury also said the North Korean man, who is a senior official at a North Korean bank, appears to have been directing the Chinese trader and others to send funds derived from stolen virtual currency to North Korean front companies.
The US Treasury criticized North Korea for laundering stolen virtual currency to "support the regime and its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs."
South Korea also announced on Monday that it had added the North Korean banker to its list of sanction targets.
The US and South Korea are working together to increase pressure on Pyongyang as it accelerates its nuclear and missile development programs.
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Summary
The U.S. and South Korea have imposed sanctions on a North Korean official and a Chinese virtual currency trader for allegedly laundering cryptocurrency to fund North Korea's weapons programs. The U.S. Treasury Department accuses the North Korean, a senior bank official, of directing the Chinese
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ID: 0e102a72-5ddd-442b-a866-61ab6421568f
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230425_10/
Date: April 25, 2023
Created: 2023/04/25 16:37
Updated: 2025/12/09 04:38
Last Read: 2023/04/25 16:39