North Korea's Kim tours 'huge' warship, orders shipyard upgrades
North Korea is building its third Choe Hyon-class destroyer under Kim Jong Un's five-year defence development plan, which aims to produce two surface warships every year.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, has stated her country sees no need for additional meetings with the United States following the FBI's accusation that North Korea stole over US$6 billion from a cryptocurrency exchange. She described Washington's stance as "hostile" and emphasized the regime's consistent stance against any talks with the US, even while claiming to want peace.
This stance comes after the US Treasury Department sanctioned eight North Koreans, two Russians, and one North Korean-controlled entity over an IT worker fraud scheme. Despite the harsh rhetoric and sanctions, analysts suggest that Kim Jong-un, supported by Russia and China, still relies heavily on cybercrime for a significant portion of his regime's budget, generating between one-third and half of its total funds.
While the US sanctions may be seen as a signal against illicit activities, they are also viewed as a cat-and-mouse game, with new threats constantly emerging.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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