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The BBC has reported that semiconductors produced in the United States and Europe were found in ballistic missiles imported from North Korea and launched into Ukraine. This discovery is evidence that North Korea is illegally using semiconductors and other parts necessary for weapons manufacturing by bypassing international sanctions. Military experts have revealed that US semiconductor chips manufactured in March 2023 were used for North Korean missiles supplied to Russia. Despite 20 years of harsh economic sanctions, North Korea has managed to acquire all the products needed to manufacture weapons and do so very quickly. The country establishes ghost companies in Hong Kong or Central Asian countries, purchases goods with stolen money, and procures parts through the border with China. China and Russia have been accused of assisting North Korea's 'illegal purchasing network' by breaking or loosening sanctions on their own. The war in Ukraine has provided North Korea with a window of purchase to the world, and Russia has obtained a "certification" of weapons purchased and used, instilling in countries or organizations considering purchasing that economic sanctions against North Korea are not a big problem. Despite the fact that North Korean missiles do not look inferior to those made in Russia, the country's use of semiconductor chips manufactured in the United States and Europe means that it is highly dependent on overseas semiconductors in weapons manufacturing. As a result, there is an opinion that tighter semiconductor sanctions against North Korea could prevent the country from manufacturing and exporting illegal weapons.
