KATHMANDU: The US has expressed serious concerns over North Korean’s illegal activities in Nepal.

David J Ranz, US Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, today expressed his concern during a meeting with Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa in Kathmandu.

Highly-placed sources told Khabarhub that he drew Home Minister Thapa’s attention towards North Korean illegal activities, including the operation of cyber espionage in Kathmandu.

It should be noted that Khabarhub had earlier reported that North Korean hackers have been operating cyber espionage from a Kathmandu-based residential area.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier drew the attention of Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali. Sources said Pompeo had also sent a letter to Prime Minister KP Oli urging the latter to take strong measures action such activities in Nepal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) sources have confirmed. The government had, however, given less priority to the US concerns.

During today’s meeting, the duo also discussed Nepal’s border security and investment environment, and further consolidating Nepal-US relations.

Khabarhub had last month carried out a report saying that a group of North Korean hackers has been operating cyber espionage from Apartment No 16 ‘A’ of the Harmony Housing at Tokha, around five kilometers north of Kathmandu’s Basundhara (Ringroad), especially targeting banking and financial institutions across the world.

Likewise, Khabarhub had also published an exclusive story about North Korean doctors working illegally in Nepal’s hospitals.

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