North Korea launches two more missiles into the sea as UN reveals Kim Jong-Un’s regime has raised $2billion for its weapons programme through cyber attacks on banks
- Missiles fired from South Hwanghae province into the Sea of Japan to the east
- Kim’s fourth launch in two weeks, and comes amid the release of damning report
- UN says he’s funded weapons programme through ‘sustained’ cyber strikes
North Korea has fired two more missiles into the sea – Kim Jong-un’s fourth launch in two weeks – in an apparent protest at joint US-South Korean military drills on the peninsula.
The weapons were fired from South Hwanghae province into the Sea of Japan to the east, according to Yonhap news agency.
The launch came as a UN report revealed North Korea has generated an estimated $2 billion (£1.6bn) for its missile programme through cyber attacks on banks.
Today’s launch was the fourth by North Korea in two weeks. Pictured is Kim Jong-un at the third launch on Wednesday
Wednesday’s rocket was fired from close to the port city of Wonsan, flying around 155 miles into the Sea of Japan before exploding
North Korea has fired a series of missiles and rockets after criticising the US and South Korea for its joint drills and adoption of high-tech weapons.
Mr Trump has played down the tests by saying they did not break any agreement he had with Kim, but the talks have yet to resume, and analysts believe the tests are designed both to improve North Korean military capabilities and to pressure Washington to offer more concessions.
The US Department of Defense will ‘continue to monitor the situation and are consulting closely with our South Korean and Japanese allies,’ a department spokesman said.
North Korea remains unchanged in its commitment to resolve the issues through dialogue, but ‘will be compelled to seek a new road as we have already indicated,’ a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement released through state news agency KCNA.
The arrival of new, US-made F-35A stealth fighters in South Korea and US balliastic missile tests are among the steps that have forced North Korea to continue its own weapons development, the spokesman said.
‘The U.S. and South Korean authorities remain outwardly talkative about dialogue,’ the spokesman said. ‘But when they sit back, they sharpen a sword to do us harm.’
North Korean state TV released images of the missile fired on Wednesday apparently hitting an island, suggesting that they were testing guidance systems
The Hermit State took the unusual step of pixellating the ground launcher for the missiles on Wedesday, apparently to hide its specifications
Meanwhile, a UN Security Council report revealed North Korea has been engaged in ‘sophisciated’ hacking campaigns against banks to finance its weapons programme.
The experts said they are investigating ‘at least 35 reported instances of North Korean actors attacking financial institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges and mining activity designed to earn foreign currency’ in some 17 countries.
The UN experts said the hermit state’s attacks against cryptocurrency exchanges allowed it ‘to generate income in ways that are harder to trace and subject to less government oversight and regulation than the traditional banking sector.’
The Security Council has unanimously imposed sanctions on North Korea since 2006 in a bid to choke funding for Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The Council has banned exports including coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, and capped imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.
Mr Trump has met with Kim three times, most recently in June when he became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.
Kim Jong-un bragged that the new weapon would bring ‘inescapable distress’ to ‘fat targets’ who could be hit by the weapon, including Seoul and a nearby US military base
They agreed to resume stalled talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons program. The talks have yet to resume and in July and early August, North Korea carried out three short-range missiles tests in eight days.
When asked about the UN report a US State Department spokeswoman said: ‘We call upon all responsible states to take action to counter North Koreaâs ability to conduct malicious cyber activity, which generates revenue that supports its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.’
The UN report was completed before last week’s missile launches by North Korea, but noted that ‘missile launches in May and July enhanced its overall ballistic missile capabilities.’
The experts said that despite the diplomatic efforts, they found ‘continued violations’ of UN sanctions.
‘For example, the DPRK continued to violate sanctions through ongoing illicit ship-to-ship transfers and procurement of WMD-related items and luxury goods,’ the U.N. report said.