SHADY

Report: N. Korea Evading Sanctions With Overseas Companies

UN members urged to “exercise heightened vigilance” around North Korean diplomats.

An upcoming United Nations report seen by Reuters warns that North Korea is evading sanctions with a network of overseas companies that allow for continued access to the international banking system. The 100-page draft report was prompted by reports that North Korea was violating sanctions imposed over its nuclear program. “Designated entities and banks have continued to operate in the sanctioned environment by using agents who are highly experienced and well trained in moving money, people and goods, including arms and related materiel, across borders,” the report warns. Two trading companies are identified in the report and reported to be tied to North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, the country’s intelligence agency. UN members are urged to “exercise heightened vigilance” regarding North Korean diplomats involved in commercial activities, because they may be involved in the illegal network. The country's "evasion techniques" are also said to be "increasing in scale, scope and sophistication.” The news comes as North Korea is accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong Un, in a brazen attack on Malaysian soil. The first planned official meeting between North Korean and U.S. authorities representing President Trump’s White House has been canceled amid the scandal, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.