Christy Lee contributed to this report, which originated on VOA’s Korean Service.A high-level North Korean defector who delivered millions of dollars to Pyongyang’s elite as a trusted, overseas trader, suggests the Kim regime is employing state-sponsored strategies to elude international sanctions on oil needed to maintain its military and economy.FILE – Former North Korean official, Ri Jong Ho, right, who oversaw North Korea’s overall production and trade while serving at the Office 39 for decades, heads to Pyongyang with Chinese investment tycoon Sam Pa, December 2006.Before defecting, Ri worked in Office 39, a North Korean bureau responsible for securing foreign income and hard currency for the country’s leaders and senior officials in North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party. The U.S. government has accused Office 39 of engaging in ‘Deceptive’ practiceAlmost all ships are linked to an automatic, FILE – The North Korean cargo ship, Wise Honest, middle, was towed into the Port of Pago Pago, May 11, 2019, in Pago Pago, American Samoa.The U.S. seized North Korean cargo vessel Wise Honest in May for violating the U.S. and U.N. sanctions after Indonesia detained it for over a year for suspect activities. It was the first time the U.S. seized a North Korean vessel.Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of Otto Warmbier who died shortly after release from a North Korean prison in 2017, have filed a claim for the ship as part of a $500 million judgment they received in a U.S. court against Pyongyang for their son’s death.
 
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