The October issue analyzes the growing sophistication of North Korea’s cyber strategy and the evolving international response. Under intensified sanctions that have choked traditional foreign currency channels, Pyongyang has turned to cyber operations―especially cryptocurrency theft―as a critical source of funds for its nuclear and missile programs. Blockchain firm Chainalysis estimates that North Korea stole around USD 1.34 billion in 2024, accounting for over 60 percent of global losses. These attacks now encompass money laundering, data breaches, and supply chain infiltration, posing systemic risks to financial stability and national infrastructure. The United States, Japan, and the European Union have tightened sanctions and intelligence sharing, but weakened UN oversight continues to constrain coordinated action. In South Korea, the absence of a unified cybersecurity law and offensive defense capacity underscores the need for stronger institutional and publicprivate collaboration. North Korea’s cyber operations thus represent not merely a technological threat but a structural challenge to global financial security and state sovereignty, demanding a more integrated, preemptive, and internationally coordinated response.