The United States is investigating Chinese banks that allegedly helped North Korea develop its nuclear weapons program.
Kan Hyeong-woo reports.
Three major Chinese banks are being probed by the U.S. for allegedly helping finance Pyeongyang's nuclear weapons program - which would be a violation of the international sanctions on North Korea.
According to Bloomberg,... Washington is investigating hundreds of millions of dollars in suspect financial transactions.
Citing an appeals court opinion,... Bloomberg reported that American prosecutors do not "currently" suspect the unnamed Chinese banks of intentionally violating sanctions.
But the appeals court said the U.S. government believes the banks hold records that might "clarify how North Korea finances its nuclear weapons program."
Washington has been trying to acquire banking records from 2012 to 2017.
The five-year span was the period leading up to North Korea's successful tests of nuclear arms and missile systems,... including an ICBM launch in 2017.
Quoting a former CIA and Treasury Department official,... Bloomberg added that, if the government finds evidence the banks knowingly aided the transactions, the U.S. could fine them billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, a new UN report says North Korea amassed some 2 billion U.S. dollars for its WMD programs... using cyberattacks to steal money from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges and launder the money in cyberspace.
According to Reuters,... the confidential report to the UN Security Council says Pyeongyang is also continuing to enhance its nuclear and missile programs, despite not testing a nuclear bomb or ICBM in many months.
The North Korean mission to the UN did not respond to a request for comment.
A U.S. State Department official was quoted as saying Washington calls upon all responsible states to take action to counter North Korea's ability to engage in malicious cyber activities.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.