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Why Sanctions Aren't Stopping North Korea

2026-08-07 · 08:00 UTC ·Bloomberg Originals ·1 min read

Brief

North Korea's Kim Jong Un has accumulated up to $22 billion in foreign earnings between 2022 and 2025, a roughly 400% increase over the prior four years. This Bloomberg Originals presentation (08/07/2026) traces the windfall to crypto thefts, deeper trade with China and arms sales to Russia, arguing these gaps in enforcement undermine sanctions and sustain the regime.

Why it matters

Kim Jong Un amassed up to $22 billion in foreign earnings from 2022–2025, a roughly 400% rise versus the previous four-year period despite sweeping global sanctions.

Key details

  • Bloomberg identifies the primary revenue channels as large-scale crypto thefts, expanded trade with China, and arms sales to Russia—flows that finance weapons programs and bolster regime survival.
Source evidence

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raked in as much as $22 billion in foreign earnings from 2022 to 2025, according to a Bloomberg Economics analysis. That represents a 400% rise in revenues from the previous four-year period despite sweeping global sanctions.

So how did Kim do it, and why is a richer North Korea an even bigger concern for the world?

Read more:
Kim Jong Un Flouted Sanctions to Amass $22 Billion Windfall
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-north-korea-windfall/

00:00 Introduction
01:55 Recent economic growth
03:48 Geopolitical landscape
05:21 Crypto thefts
06:14 Trade with China
07:03 Arms sales to Russia
09:22 Regime survival

NorthKorea #KimJongUn

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Channel: Bloomberg Originals
Published: 2026-08-07
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v30SRprmmLE