Cybercriminals working for the North Korean government have been stealing virtual assets around the world since 2017. 5 trillion won (1. $2 billion), according to South Korean intelligence, reports The Independent.

About 800 billion won ($626 million) stolen in 2022. Over 100 billion won ($78 million) of the total comes from South Korean property.

North Korean hackers are expected to carry out more cyberattacks next year to steal advanced South Korean technology and confidential information about South Korea's foreign policy and national security..

Earlier this month, senior diplomats from the US, South Korea and Japan agreed to intensify efforts to curb North Korea's illegal cyber activities.. In February, a UN panel of experts said North Korea continues to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from financial institutions and cryptocurrency firms and exchanges..

North Korea has turned to crypto-hacking and other illegal cyber activities as a source of much-needed foreign exchange to prop up its fragile economy and fund its nuclear program in the wake of tough UN sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say..

South Korea's national intelligence service said North Korea's ability to steal digital assets is considered among the best in the world, as the country has been focusing on cybercrime following the tightening of UN economic sanctions in 2017 in response to nuclear and missile tests..

[see_also ids\u003d"

UN sanctions imposed in 2016-17 banned key North Korean exports such as coal, textiles and seafood, and forced participating countries to repatriate North Korean workers. The country's economy has been further hit by some of the world's toughest lockdowns against the pandemic..

Despite economic difficulties, North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year in what some experts say is an attempt to modernize its arsenal and increase its influence in future negotiations with rivals in order to secure sanctions relief and other concessions..