North Korea continued to circumvent UN sanctions on shipping and trade, according to a new mid-term report from the UN Panel of Experts (PoE) published on Thursday.

Poor sanctions implementation allows North Korea continued access to the global financial system, while the DPRK has also stepped up large scale hacking efforts, the report noted.

“(North Korea) continued to violate sanctions through ongoing illicit ship-to-ship transfers and the procurement of weapons of mass destruction-related items and luxury goods,” the report reads.

“These and other sanctions violations are facilitated through the country’s access to the global financial system, through bank representatives and networks