North Korea 'shipping chemical weapons supplies to Syria'

North Korea has been shipping supplies to the Syrian government that could be used to make chemical weapons, say United Nations investigators.

The revelations, in a confidential 200-page long report seen by the New York Times, comes as the US and other countries have accused Syria of using chemical weapons on its own civilians, including a suspected chlorine gas attack in Eastern Ghouta in the past few days.

The report indicates there have been major flaws in international efforts to isolate both countries, and the new evidence could dampen efforts to bring North Korea to the negotiating table following a diplomatic détente at the South Korean Winter Olympics.


The items provided by North Korea reportedly included acid-resistant tiles, valves and thermometers. Investigators also detailed sightings of North Korean technicians working at chemical weapons and missile facilities inside Syria.

The report appears to confirm long-standing fears that North Korea may be funding its own weapons of mass destruction programme by trading its technological expertise with hostile third parties.

It also supports suspicions since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 that President Bashar al-Assad has been assisted by the North Korean regime.

The possible chemical weapons components were part of at least 40 previously unreported shipments by North Korea to Syria between 2012 and 2017 of prohibited ballistic missile parts and materials that could be used either for civilian or military purposes.

The UN declined to comment on the report, which was written by a panel of eight experts tasked with checking North Korea’s compliance with sanctions.

It may never be publicly released, but a spokesperson stressed that the “overarching message is that all member states have a duty and responsibility to abide by the sanctions that are in place.”

Experts who reviewed the document for the Times described it as the most detailed account to date of efforts to circumvent sanctions intended to curb the military powers of both countries.

But they concluded that it did not prove definitively that there was current, continuing collaboration between North Korea and Syria on chemical weapons.

Hopes have been rising on the Korean peninsula that talks between South and North Korea over the Olympic Games could be expanded to include the US and eventually lead to a breakthrough over Pyongyang’s nuclear and weapons programme.

On Tuesday, senior US diplomat, Joseph Yun, who will retire later this week, told South Korean newswire Yonhap that he remained “very hopeful” about the prospect of talks.

Key points Syria civil war

• 15 March 2011

  Civil uprising

  Demonstrators marched on Damascus, demanding reform and the release of political prisoners. As further demonstrations were organised, these demands shifted to the overthrow of the Assad government and armed rebellion broke out.

• 29 July 2011

  Insurgency

  Defecting Syrian army officers formed the Free Syrian Army, with the aim of co-ordinating opposition to the Assad regime. The Syrian government escalated a nationwide crackdown against opposition groups.

• November 2011

  Intensified conflict

  The Syrian Army besieged the town of Homs, occupied by rebel forces. As the year moved on, the army’s use of tanks and artillery became commonplace, while intelligence consultant Philip Giraldi alleged that Nato had begun covert support for the rebels.

• April 2012

  Ceasefire

  UN–Arab League Joint Special Representative Kofi Annan attempted to broker a peace treaty. However, infractions by both sides left the deal in tatters and Annan had officially resigned in protest by early August.

• 12 June 2012

  Civil war

  The United Nations officially declared Syria to be in a state of civil war. In July, a rebel assault on Damascus was quickly repelled by government forces, shifting the focus of conflict to the control of Aleppo. Government shelling of Kurdish regions drew the hitherto-neutral YPG into battle.

• February 2013

  Hezbollah

  The Free Syrian Army begins shelling Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, after the group admits to militarily supporting the Assad government.

• 6 March 2013

  Raqqah

  Rebel forces captured Raqqah, the first regional capital to be lost by the government. The Kurdish YPG took control of oil fields in north-eastern Syria, after expelling government forces. Elsewhere, footage emerged of rebel commander Khaled al Hamad eating the heart of a dead government soldier, inciting his troops to greater violence.

• 11 July 2013

  Infighting

  FSA commander Kamal Hamami was assassinated by Isis, which had made large military gains in the region since the start of the year. Over the following three months, Free Syrian Army support began to wane, as followers drifted towards Islamist militias or sought to cooperate with the government against Isis. Kurdish militias clashed with Islamists in the north, with the Kurds gaining territory.

• 21 August 2013

  Sarin attack

  Over 1,300 people died in the east Damascus district of Ghouta, as a nerve agent was deployed against civilians and rebel forces.

  President Barack Obama threatened US military intervention, but this was averted as the Russian government negotiated for the Syrian government to give up its chemical weapons cabaility.

• 3 January 2014

  Further infighting

  As tensions built between rebel groups, the Army of the Mujahideen, the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic Front united in an attempt to drive Isis from Aleppo. Isis consolidated around Raqqah, in anticipation of further clashes against al-Qaeda affiliate the al-Nusra Front.

• 3 June 2014

  Presidential elections

  President Bashar al-Assad won a leadership election in government-held areas, holding 88.7pc of the vote. This was the first election in which opposition party candidates were allowed to stand. However, the result was decried as illegitimate by the European Union, United States and Gulf Cooperation Council.

• 5 June 2014

  Isil offensive

  Isil cut a swathe of territory through Iraq, capturing heavy weapons from the Iraqi Army and bringing them to bear on its opponents in Syria. On 19 August, the Islamist group executed American journalist James Foley.

• 23 September 2014

  US air strikes

  The United States escalated its involvement in the country, launching air strikes against Isil, in cooperation with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.

• October 2014

  Islamist takeover

  The al-Nusra Front, reportedly backed by Isil, crushed opposing rebel groups in the north of Syria. This left the south of the country the last stronghold of non-Islamist rebellion.

• 21 May 2015

  Palmyra

  Isil took control of the city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of a broader offensive, capturing further territory and carrying out mass executions. A US Special Forces raid uncovered evidence that Turkish officials had dealt directly with ranking members of Isil.

• 30 September 2015

  Russia intervenes

  At the request of President Bashar al-Assad, the Russian air force began bombing operations against both Isil and other anti-government groups. At the same time, rebel groups received new supplies of US-made weaponry.

• 30 October 2015

  Syria peace talks

  With the involvement of the United States, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and, for the first time, Iran discussions began for a Syrian peace settlement. However, the delegates failed to agree on a future for President Assad.

• 20 November 2015

  UN resolution

  The United Nations Security Council authorised its members to redouble their efforts against Isil, while blocking a Russian resolution that would have protected Assad.

• 24 November 2015

  Turkey shoots down a Russian warplane

  Diplomatic tensions mounted between Russia and Turkey, after Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet near the Syrian border.

• 26 February 2016

  Ceasefire

  The United Nations Security Council endorsed a US-Russia brokered peace deal. The resulting ceasefire excluded any organisation which the UN deems to be a terrorist group, meaning that operations could continue against Isil.

• 25 July 2016

  Siege of Aleppo

  By late July, violence had once again escalated. With Russian air support, the Syrian Army attempted to besiege the city of Aleppo.

• 24 August 2016

  Turkish forces invade Syria

  Under the name “Operation Euphrates Shield” Turkey deployed its troops over the Syrian border. The operation’s aim was to combat both Isil and Kurdish-aligned rebel groups.

• 12 September 2016

  Ceasefire

  The United States and Russia brokered another peace deal. However, this broke down within days, following attacks on government forces that each side sought to pin on another.

• 22 September 2016

  Aleppo offensive

  The Syrian government made its final push into Aleppo, overrunning the city’s rebel positions by mid-December.

• 29 December 2016

  Ceasefire

  A new ceasefire deal was brokered by the Russian and Turkish governments. The agreement covered the entire country, except for areas where government forces are battling armed groups declared terrorist organisations by the United Nations.

• 5 April 2017

  Chemical attack

  At least 70 people were killed by toxic gas that appears to have been dropped on the town of Khan Sheikhun by Syrian government warplanes. International condemnation grows, as governments recall the Assad regime’s 2013 Sarin attack on eastern Damascus.

• 7 April 2017

  US airstrikes

  US forces launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian airbase at Shayrat. This marked the first direct attack against the Assad government since the beginning of the war.