The Australian government has imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on 4 North Korean entities and an individual, alleging that the groups are involved in cybercrime, activities which are used to support North Korea’s nuclear programmes and creation of ballistic weaponry, as per an official media release.
The official statement—listed under Australian politician Penny Wong’s section on the government’s official website—has noted the massive scale of fraudulent North Korean actors who are involved in harmful cyber activities, including the theft of cryptocurrency.
Penny Wong is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Australia, as part of the Albanese Government, and since 2002 has been a senator for South Australia.
Specifically outlined in MSMT’s (Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team) second report was the $1.9 billion stolen by North Korean groups in 2024.
“The Australia Government is taking this action with the United States to apply pressure on North Korea’s illegal revenue generation networks and address its persistent challenges to security and stability,” read the statement.
Analysis by research group Elliptic has shown that over the first nine months of 2025, North Korean groups have stolen over $2 billion, bringing the total amount stolen by the regime up to $6 billion so far.
“We encourage all Australians to be vigilant about their cyber security, and be aware that payments to entities and individuals listed under Australia’s autonomous sanctions framework could result in action by law enforcement agencies,” read the final part of Penny Wong’s statement.