North Korea has now tested six nuclear weapons and developed multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and a variety of shorter-range systems. But despite these successes, it continues to rely on foreign sources of technology to maintain and advance its weapons of mass destruction.

Imported technologies — particularly dual-use goods or those with military and civil applications — have been integral to the DPRK’s programmatic successes.

A recent survey of cases by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) demonstrates that illicit procurement has continued over the past five years despite the pandemic.

Now, as the