Japan, U.S., S. Korea to Step Up Efforts against Crypto Theft by N. Korea

Seoul, Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)--Senior Japanese, U.S. and South Korean officials agreed in telephone talks on Friday to strengthen efforts to prevent North Korea from procuring funds through the theft of crypto assets, the South Korean foreign ministry said.

The talks were joined by Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea, and Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.

North Korea is believed to be focusing on cyberattacks to procure funds. In April, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said a North Korean hacker group had conducted a cyberattack against an online game network and stolen some 620 million dollars.

In the phone talks, the three officials also agreed to further bolster international cooperation to prevent attempts by North Korea to avoid sanctions, such as offshore ship-to-ship cargo transfers.

On a recent series of missile launches by Pyongyang, the three affirmed that their countries will not overlook North Korea's attempt to make its provocative acts everyday events.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]