North Korea continues to use illegal workers abroad to fund its weapons program. This is what the U.S.
affirms in a joint statement with South Korea and Japan. Most North Korean workers are employed on farms, construction and shipyards. Pyongyang reportedly stole up to $1.7 billion in cryptocurrencies last year. The trilateral statement also stresses the importance of Pyongyang's cyberattack program in recent months. It is one of the means put in place by the regime to bring foreign currency into the country. As of 2017, the practice is prohibited by UN sanctions.