While the situation in the Middle East is dominating discussions in the Rockies of Alberta, Canada, the Japanese Prime Minister is keen to find ways of co-operating to deal with North Korea's malicious cryptocurrency activities.
Japanese PM Wants North Korea’s Crypto Dealings on the G7 Agenda
16 June 2025 - 18:16 CEST
In February, the Lazarus Group, thought to be working for the North Korean regime, carried out a $1.5 billion heist, stealing digital tokens from Dubai-based crypto exchange ByBit.
Weapons development
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s concerns centre around North Korea using the funds to pay for the development of weapons of mass destruction, and to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. This is important for Japan given its close proximity to North Korea, and the warm relationship between Vladimir Putin of Russia and the Kim regime of North Korea.
“We believe that the security of the North Atlantic and Europe and the security of Asia are inseparable”
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura said in February that, “the security of both continents [Asia and Europe] is closely linked and inseparable. We are worried about the military cooperation between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
New counter-measures
At the G7, Prime Minister Ishiba is said to be emphasizing the importance of the world’s leading economies working together on counter-measures.
The G7 has previously discussed issues around the regulation and standardization of digital assets at the finance ministry and central bank level. This would be the first time that cryptocurrencies have been discussed at a Leaders’ Summit in the context of the wider geopolitical situation, reflecting how cryptocurrencies have moved towards mainstream political dialogue.
