N.Korea worked on nuclear weapons despite sanctions: report

Seoul: North Korea went ahead with its development programmes on nuclear and missiles last year even after international sanctions imposed on it, Agence France-Presse reported.

A confidential United Nations report seen by Agence France-Presse stated that the country had not tested any nuclear weapons or launched intercontinental ballistic missiles last year. However, the report stated that it has been developing its capacity to produce nuclear fissile materials. The report was shared with 15 UN Security Council member states.

The report said that maintenance and development of DPRK's (North Korea) nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure continued, and it sought material, technology and know-how for these programmes overseas by means of cyber and scientific research.

The report states that North Korea unleashed cyberattacks on cryptocurrency assets to ramp up its revenues. The authors of the report noted that there was a sharp surge in the quality of illicit petroleum imports during 2021, but which was lower than that of previous years.

The country is facing major sanctions, which includes a ban on exports of coal, iron, lead, textiles, seafood, among other products, due to its weapon ambitions.

When many world powers urged for sanctions on North Korea, the two superpowers of China and Russia called for relaxing the sanctions on humanitarian grounds. Both the latter suggested a more flexible approach towards North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un.

In January, North Korea tested seven weapons. It had launched its most powerful missile since 2017, was one among them.