S. Korea Claims North Illegally Exported 1.5M Tons of Coal in 2025
Seoul's primary intelligence body, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), determined that North Korea's refined oil imports from China and Russia last year surpassed the UN-mandated 500,000-barrel ceiling by a staggering sevenfold margin. The assessment was disclosed by Yu Yong-weon, a lawmaker representing the main opposition People Power Party.
Yu stated that Pyongyang has persistently shipped banned mineral commodities — including coal and iron ore — through a web of vessels sailing under both North Korean and foreign flags, sourced from China, Russia, and other nations, while simultaneously smuggling refined petroleum into the country.
"which are completely banned under UN Security Council sanctions resolutions, by using both North Korean-flagged and foreign-flagged cargo vessels from China, Russia and third countries, in addition to smuggling in refined petroleum products," Yu said.
He further warned: "In particular, North Korea's coal exports were estimated at around 1.5 million tons, and it is believed to have recently sought to increase exports to China and third countries by falsely labeling the coal as Russian in origin."
Existing UN Security Council resolutions strictly prohibit North Korea from exporting coal and other minerals, as revenues from such trade are believed to bankroll Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile development.
Beyond minerals, the NIS alleged that North Korea has sustained oil procurement from China and Russia — its primary supplier — as bilateral ties between Pyongyang and Moscow continue to deepen.
The agency further charged that between September 2023 and April 2025, North Korea transferred "large quantities" of artillery munitions and hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, reportedly receiving advanced drone and missile technologies in return.
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