In comments made in a joint statement released Friday, the United States, South Korea, and Japan expressed concern about North Korea’s cyber activities supporting its weapons programs.

Officials and experts from the United States and its allies claim that North Korean hackers stole crypto currency funds to finance the country’s weapons programs.

According to a U.S. Treasury Department report, actors like North Korea used decentralised finance (DeFi) as a way to launder and transfer illicit proceeds.

North Korea denies any hacking or other cyberattacks.

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In the midst of North Korea’s increasing nuclear and missile threats South Korea’s nuclear envoy met with his U.S.- and Japanese counterparts this week in Seoul and condemned North Korea’s weapon tests.

“We reiterate our concern that DPRK IT workers overseas continue to use forged identities, nationalities,” to evade U.N. sanction and raise funds to support missile programs, according to the joint statement of the envoys, which uses the acronym for North Korea’s official name.

They urged member countries of the United Nations to respect U.N. Security Council resolutions regarding North Korean workers being repatriated.

The statement stated that “We are also deeply worried about how DPRK supports these programs by stealing and launder funds as well as gathering data through malicious cyber activities.”

Tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula.

According to the South’s Unification Minister, which deals with inter-Korean affairs, North Korea wasn’t responsive to calls made through a liaison telephone line with South Korea on Friday.

Although it is not clear why North Korea didn’t respond, the ministry stated that it would be closely monitoring the situation.

Since March, the U.S. military has been holding a series annual spring military drills with South Korean forces.

In response to these exercises, Pyongyang increased its military activities over the past few weeks. It also unveiled smaller nuclear warheads, and launched an intercontinental missile capable of striking anywhere within the United States.

There has been a lot of harsh language exchanged as these exercises and tests progress. North Korea accused Washington, Seoul and Seoul of pushing tensions all the way to the brink by their military drills.

Kim Gunn, South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator said that North Korea’s nuclear ambitions were “nothing but a self-destructive boomerang” that would shatter its economy.

Kim stated that North Korea is misleading its people into believing that nuclear weapons can solve all its problems. He spoke to U.S. officials and Japanese officials Friday.

Japan announced Friday a two-year extension to its North Korea trade ban, with exceptions for humanitarian reasons.