A recently released report from the Asan Institute for Policy Studies found that North Korea’s oil imports were far in excess of declared shipments, as it worked with Russia via a network of front-companies to transfer millions of dollars worth of oil.

The Asan report examined trade happening between 2015 and 2017, though added the practice could still continue via newly established networks so long as the DPRK was able to find willing suppliers.

If accurate, the report’s findings also highlight how North Korea and its partners were already using underhand methods to disguise the