Dear Supporter,

In August, The Sentry published an alarming report exposing how two North-Korean businessmen openly busted sanctions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), potentially threatening international peace and security. Our investigative team kept digging, and we are now bringing to light new information with our follow-up report, “Artful Dodgers: New Findings on North Korean Sanctions-Busting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

This report includes new revelations illustrating how North Korean actors exploit weak institutional controls and jurisdictions with high levels of corruption. Some of these revelations include:

• Pak Hwa Song and Hwang Kil Su, the two North Korean businessmen who evaded international sanctions in the DRC, won more government contracts in the DRC than previously understood.
• Their company Congo Aconde also had wider access to US dollars through a local bank, Afriland First Bank, as the pair undertook public works projects in at least three DRC provinces.
• The findings suggest the two North Koreans also had closer connections to Pyongyang than first thought, and that Congo Aconde is likely tied to a little-known North Korean government-run design firm, Korea Paekho Trading Corporation.
• There are indications that Korea Paekho Trading Corporation affiliates have operated throughout West and Central Africa, which raises significant questions about the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea.

In the DRC, due diligence shortfalls across private and public institutions may create systemic risk for the economy. In order for sanctions to create impact, it is imperative that governments, multilateral bodies, and global banks provide relevant assistance to sanctions enforcement institutions, while also acting against the type of opportunism outlined in this report. To explore our full findings and recommendations, read the report, “Artful Dodgers: New Findings on North Korean Sanctions-Busting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

For a refresher on our previous report that first exposed this prohibited activity, listen to our podcast interview with NK News.

Sincerely,

John Prendergast
Co-Founder of The Sentry