North Korea developing nuclear, missile programs in 2021- UN Report

NorthKoreacontinueddevelopingitsnuclearand ballisticmissileprogramsduring the first half of2021in violation of international sanctions and despite the country's worsening economic situation, according to an excerpt of a confidential United Nationsreportseen by Reuters on Friday.

Thereportby a panel of independent sanctions monitors to theUN Security CouncilNorthKoreasanctions committee said Pyongyang "continued to seek material and technology for these programmes overseas."

"Despite the country's focus on its worsening economic travails, the Democratic People's Republic ofKoreacontinued to maintain and develop itsnuclearand ballisticmissileprogrammes," the sanctions monitors concluded.

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NorthKoreais formally known as the Democratic People's Republic ofKorea(DPRK).NorthKorea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on theUN report.

The isolated Asian nation imposed a strict lockdown last year amid the coronavirus pandemic that has slashed its trade and aid access, hurting an economy already burdened by international sanctions.

In June, leader Kim Jong Un said the country faced a "tense" food situation and much would depend on this year's harvests.

"Statements made by DPRK suggested a deepening humanitarian crisis in the country, although the COVID-19 blockade means that the relative impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation has probably decreased," theUN monitors wrote.

"With trade all but stopped by the blockade, and last year's harvest badly affected by floods, the current prospects of the wider DPRK population are poor," they said.

NorthKoreahas been subjected toUN sanctions since 2006 over itsnuclearand ballisticmissileprograms. The Security Council has steadily strengthened sanctions in a bid to cut off funding for theprograms.

Among the sanctions imposed are a ban on the export of coal and other commodities and the import of oil.

"Maritime exports from DPRK of coal and other sanctioned commodities continued, but at a much reduced level. The import of oil productsreported to the panel fell substantially in the first half of the year," according to theUNreport.

Pyongyang also continued to access international financial institutions andNorthKorean workers continued to earn money overseas for use in state programmes, said theUN sanctions monitors, adding: "Officials overseas continued to feel pressure to develop revenue streams."

The monitors said they were continuing to investigateNorthKorea's involvement in global cyber activity and collaboration byNorthKorean academics and universities with scientific institutes abroad, "focusing on studies with potential applications in WMD (weapons of mass destruction) programmes."

TheUNsanctions monitors have previouslyreported thatNorthKoreahas stolen hundreds of millions of dollars using cyberattacks.