NORTH KOREA'S MEMBERSHIP IN AML GROUP: MOVE IN RIGHT DIRECTION, OR CRUEL JOKE ?

News this week, to the effect that the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, North Korea, has joined the Asia-Pacific Group, a FATF affiliate, and plans a meeting with APG officials, should not be cause for you to let your guard down on North Korea, whose officially-sponsored counterfeiting of the US Dollar, illicit trafficking in both illegal as well as counterfeit legitimate drugs, and sundry other criminal enterprises, to raise capital, continues unabated. I do not see this action as anything other than a cynical propaganda move; AML/CFT does not exist in heavily-sanctioned North Korea. Let us hope nobody in compliance thinks the country is reforming, as is occurring in Myanmar/Burma, and relaxes their guard.

Kindly continue to treat all transactions with the DPRK, given the existing sanctions, as you have in the past. Nothing has changed; forget the North Korean government's clumsy attempts to portray itself as reformist.

Remember also, if you are in North America, or the EU, that North Korea is setting up an embassy in Caracas, for unknown dark and illegal purposes. Venezuela is a perfect location for concealing DPRK financial activities, and for effective sanctions evasion, and Venezuela and North Korea have had a covert relationship for many years.