A photo taken of the North Korea – China border in 2014. (Lawrence Wang, Flickr, Creative Commons)North Korea has recently been importing large quantities of electronic devices and parts from China.
A source in China told Daily NK recently that North Korean trading companies operating in China are shipping in not only shelf-ready products like desktop and laptop computers but also a range of parts—including CPUs (central processing units), CPU coolers, motherboards, RAM, GPUs (graphics cards), and memory cards—since the beginning of the month.
While some of the computers being imported by North Korean trading companies are being sold to individuals, a substantial portion are high-performance computers intended for use by state organizations.
Some of the computers will no doubt be put to use in hacking and weapon development. But the source explained that the North Korean government also wants to develop a variety of AI-based programs with practical applications.
Notably, the computer parts being ordered by state agencies include top-of-the-line GPUs.
While cutting-edge GPUs cost tens of thousands of dollars per unit, some North Korean agencies are reportedly not deterred by those steep prices. Just as with the computers, the GPUs are presumably intended for use in hacking, weapon development, and AI programs.
Sanctioned products smuggled through Chinese border
“High-performance computers and cutting-edge GPUs are generally ordered by powerful agencies that oversee hacking teams or military R&D operations,” the source said.
As this implies, the computers and electronic parts that North Korean trading companies are importing from China include products manufactured in countries that Pyongyang has designated as “hostile states,” such as the United States and Japan.
The U.N. Security Council prohibits electronic products and parts from being exported to or imported from North Korea under Resolution 2397, among other resolutions. But North Korean trading companies can smuggle these products into the country with state approval while avoiding notice by the international community.
Sanctioned products cannot pass through official importing channels because they do not receive clearance from the Chinese customs authority. Instead, they have to be smuggled in through the border with China’s Liaoning and Jilin provinces.
These efforts underscore Pyongyang’s determination to defang international sanctions and acquire the high-tech assets needed to continue augmenting its military capabilities and level of information technology.
In addition to computers, North Korean trading companies have recently been importing mobile phones, USIM cards, smartwatches, and wireless headphones.
Everyday goods like water filters and construction materials such as cement, tiles, and pipes are also reportedly on the list of imported goods.
Non-sanctioned items on the list are brought into North Korea through official import channels on the Dandong-Sinuiju corridor, the source said.