North Korea has ramped up illicit exports of coal to the highest levels since early in the pandemic and expanded its smuggling operations to new areas near China and Russia, according to information in a new U.N. report.

A member state notified the U.N. Panel of Experts that Pyongyang has expanded “maritime smuggling activities” for “DPRK-origin coal” and exported 800,000 tons in the first quarter of this year, a significant jump from 200,000 tons and 300,000 tons in the same period of 2022 and 2021, respectively, the Panel’s latest report shows.

The figure remains well below the