North Korea "The Sopranos State"

North Korea is a country characterized with criminal activities such as illegal sales of missiles and nuclear weapons production. The country has had tendencies of producing counterfeit US bank notes through operations that were banned. This article reviews the Soprano state in North Korea and the evil that has taken a toll in the use of illegal financial activities, trafficking in narcotic drugs, and trade in weapons.

There have been a lot of allegations concerning North Korean drug production, trafficking, including crime for the purpose of making a profit. This has been a serious concern of the congress, international press and the public diplomats. Most of criminal activities were organized and managed in Pyongyang within a six storey building, known as Bureau 39. This property is given support by the government. It is a building that is owned and run by the Korean government and is perceived to be headquartering world’s criminal activities.

The government of North Korea manages these illegal activities through a state owned corporation called Daesong. In this Daesong, Bureau 39 is used to administer export businesses owned and managed by the Korean top leadership under the leadership of Kim Jong II. Most of the business activities taking place include mining activities and manufacturing industries. In addition, light-manufacturing factories and Bureau 39 also contains a directorate that operates quietly and oversees illegal activities such as ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering. Bureau 39 also houses Kim's financial advisers and his top deputies. It has been noted that some wealthy professional use Goldman Sachs or UBS to manage their money.

The leader of North Korea has been involved in criminal activities in various parts of the world, these business enterprises stretches across Asia, Russia, Europe and USA. This regime has been involving in illegal activities such as the production and trafficking of opium and heroin to many drug dealers across the globe. In addition, it is involved in manufacturing and trading in several counterfeit cigarettes worth billions of dollars, and millions of counterfeit US dollars which are so sophisticated to be detected by the U.S. banks. Most of the transactions are conducted by criminals. However, the top government officials including the countries diplomatic corps stationed within the country thus, causing a lot of speculation about their involvement in the illegal trade.

This review provides an insight of hoe the US treasury department has made efforts through issuing formal advisory concerning North Koreas involvement in illegal activities. The US government has cautioned banks and other financial institutions to take reasonable steps to safe guard the alleged corruption and other abuses by North Korea. US government has contributed much effort to control or reduce these illegal activities taking place in North Korea for several years. Among the steps taken by US government included the action to freeze more that $25 dollars of the regimes finances in various banks including the Macau. Most of these funds were obtained from criminal activities such as drug trafficking and sale of weapons.

Following the actions taken by US, Pyongyang reiterated that it was unable to resume talks with a condition that US lifts restrictions it imposed against the financial institutions. These included the restrictions that were directed at the conglomerate of the state owned trading companies that were involved in illegal weapons trafficking, particularly the banned nuclear weapons technology.

North Korean companies have been on record in its operation with the operation of Macau, a Portuguese enclave, which has served the regime as a cartel in the international arena.

The weaknesses observed in the article in an attempt to thwart these criminal activities is the refund of the frozen money. The funds were returned to the owners following a diplomatic negotiation between the US government and its partners in negotiations with North Korea. This idea was supported to be a significant step. However, this was intended to lure Kim to surrender his country’s nuclear-weapons program. Apparently, this was a success because North Korea agreed to the decision by allowing experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency to get involved in the decommissioning of a nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.

The corrupt activities of the regime have been targeted to keep making the country’s dictator, Kim, to cling to power hence undermining democracy. North Korean top leadership made a plot to provide the country’s top military and securities with lucrative incentives. The purpose for this corruption is to resist pressure from citizens and the international community from the broken North, Korean Stalinist economy. These corrupt activities made the regime require hard currency through continuing with the criminal activities.

In conclusion, the criminal activities in North Korea have continued to grow into organized crime groups by getting involved into illegal shipping networks. This has continued to facilitate the exchange of lethal weapons. In addition, the citizens are facing a lot of problems such as food shortages; ironically, the leaders are so much interested in white bellflowers, or poppies that form a valuable stock for opium and heroin processing. This has led to international drug trafficking to regions such as Russia and China. In North Korea, it is the government that supports the criminal activities.