Deputy North Korean Ambassador Kim Yoo-seong (second from left in the front row) is reading a statement in front of the Kuala Lumpur embassy as he left Malaysia on the 21st following a declaration of unity between the two countries. Kuala Lumpur=EPA Yonhap News
Moon Cheol-myeong (55), the first North Korean to be tried in the United States, is linked with the General Reconnaissance Bureau, which oversees North Korean foreign operations, the US Department of Justice said on the 22nd (local time). Moon’s first appearance in the court of the Washington Federal Court on that day, and the trial proceedings are proceeding quickly. The trial is likely to adversely affect US-North Korea relations, as North Korea has even gone to a diplomatic relationship with Malaysia in response to the extradition of Mr. Moon.
The U.S. Department of Justice revealed the fact that Mr. Moon was present in court through a press release on the same day, and also disclosed the allegations of crime. It is reported that from April 2013 to November 2018, Moon was involved in money laundering worth over 1.5 million dollars (about 1.7 billion won) in a fraudulent approach to the U.S. financial system with an accomplice. The Ministry of Justice pointed out that “Mr. Moon is linked to the Reconnaissance Office, which is subject to sanctions by the United States and the United Nations,” and pointed out that “money laundering is part of a plan to procure luxury goods to North Korea.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Moon put a ghost company in front of him and used a bank account under a pseudonym to prevent North Korean institutions from being exposed when sending international accounts. The Ministry of Justice added that this deliberate concealment allowed US banks to trade in US dollars that benefit North Korean institutions. “Mr. Moon is accused of cheating banks and laundering money in order to evade sanctions imposed on North Korea by the United States and the United Nations,” said John Demus, Assistant Secretary for National Security at the Ministry of Justice.
Moon was arrested on May 14, 2019 in Malaysia. The United States, which prosecuted Mr. Moon 12 days earlier, requested the extradition of Mr. Moon’s recruits for nearly two years.
North Korea declared a breakup with Malaysia on the 19th and withdrew the staff of the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur on the 21st, accusing it of “this incident is the product of an anti-North Korea conspiracy created by the US’s heinous policy” (North Korean Ambassador Kim Yoo-sung). I have a bar. As the trial proceeds, it is expected that North Korea’s opposition will intensify.
The U.S. State Department did not show any special reaction to the question about Mr. Moon, including only the principle answer that “The United States is committed to the denuclearization of North Korea.”
Washington= Jeong Won Correspondent [email protected]
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