The persistent role of North Korea’s diplomatic missions in its proliferation and arms trafficking activities is a “wicked problem” – with the response constrained by diplomatic privileges, immunity and politics. 

North Korea’s circumvention of U.N. sanctions has long relied upon networks of intermediaries and suppliers based overseas with embassies, diplomats and intelligence officers acting as key nodes. This is especially the case for the country’s networks procuring and exporting goods and arms related to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) — activities prohibited by the U.N. sanctions regime since 2006. 

A WEB OF PROLIFERATION