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In recent times, North Korea's actions have caused significant concern, particularly its frequent launches of ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, which have heightened international tensions.
This year alone, North Korea has conducted two rounds of ballistic missile tests, adding to a total of over 100 since 2022.
This raises questions about how North Korea is funding these expensive weapons programs.
According to the annual report of the Panel of Experts under the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea released on the 20th, North Korea acquired $750 million illicitly through hacking and cyber-attacks last year, representing 50% of its total foreign currency earnings.
Since 2017, North Korea has stolen approximately $3 billion through hacking, with 40% of these funds being allocated to the development of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses found in 2022 that North Korea spent between $1.1 billion and $1.6 billion on nuclear developments, including six nuclear tests.
This expenditure includes $600 million to $700 million on the Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant, the Nyongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, and other facilities, as well as $200 million to $400 million on centrifuge production and enrichment facilities, with each nuclear test costing up to $160 million.
In terms of missile development, the cost breakdown is as follows: launching a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) costs between $3 million and $5 million, while intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) cost a minimum of $10 million and up to $150 million.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) incur expenses ranging from $20 million to $30 million per missile.
With the level of expenditure seen in North Korea's weapons programs, the country could purchase between 1.41 million and 2.05 million tons of rice and between 2.82 million and 4.1 million tons of corn, far exceeding its annual production of these grains.
This surplus could address the 860,000-ton annual food shortage estimated by the CIA, providing enough rice for 1-2 years and enough corn for 3-4 years.
Despite the identification of some funding sources, the origins of the remaining expenditures remain unclear.
In 2017, the UN imposed sanctions on North Korea for its seventh nuclear test, including an export ban that halted North Korea’s $760 million annual textile exports and the issuance of new labor permits for North Korean overseas workers, leading to an economic blockade.
North Korea is known for its infamous hacking groups, including Kimsuky and Lazarus. Kimsuky, established in 2012 by North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, targets South Korea and the United States with cyber attacks, including a notable hack of Korea Hydro Nuclear Power(KHNP) in 2014.
Lazarus, formed in 2007, is known for using computer viruses and ransomware, and it was recently revealed that the group laundered over $100 million worth of Ethereum using the Tornado Cash (TORN) cryptocurrency transaction mixing protocol.