Dugaan '''kegiatan gelap negara Korea UttaraUtara''' meliputi [[perdagangn obat-obatan ilegal|pembuatan dan penjualan obat-obatan ilegal]], pembuatan dan penjualan [[barang konsumen palsu]], [[perdagangan manusia]], [[perdagangan hewan liar]], [[pemalsuan uang]] (khususnya [[dolat Amerika Serikat]] dan [[yuan Tiongkok]]), [[terorisme]], dan bidang lainnya.<ref name="Nautilus">{{Cite web |last=Balbina Hwang |date=August 25, 2003 |title=DPRK Briefing Book : Curtailing North Korea's Illicit Activities |url=http://nautilus.org/publications/books/dprkbb/terrorism/dprk-briefing-book-curtailing-north-koreas-illicit-activities/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6SLgVJkRm?url=http://nautilus.org/publications/books/dprkbb/terrorism/dprk-briefing-book-curtailing-north-koreas-illicit-activities/ |archive-date=5 September 2014 |access-date=April 8, 2014 |publisher=Heritage Foundation}}</ref><ref name="NYTpg4">{{Cite news |last=Stephen Mihm |date=July 23, 2006 |title=No Ordinary Counterfeit |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23counterfeit.html?pagewanted=4&_r=0 |url-status=live |access-date=April 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6SLgbhjs1?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23counterfeit.html?pagewanted=4&_r=2& |archive-date=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryall |first=Julian |date=2016-07-13 |title=North Korean diplomats linked to lucrative rhino horn trade in Africa |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/13/north-korean-diplomats-linked-to-lucrative-rhino-horn-trade-in-a/ |access-date=2018-03-27 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Kebanyakan kegiatan tersebut diduga dinaungi atas perintah dan berada di bawah kendali [[pemerintahan Korea Utara]] dan [[Paartai Buruh Korea]], dengan mengembangkan [[Korea Utara dan senjata penghancuran massal|produksi nuklir dan senjata-senjata konvensional]], mendanai gaya hidup [[elit]] negara tersebut dan menopang [[ekonomi Korea Utara]].<ref name="kan">{{Cite book |last1=Kan, Paul |title=Criminal Sovereignty: Understanding North Korea's Illicit International Activities |last2=Bechton, Bruce |last3=Collins, Robert |publisher=Strategic Studies Institute |year=2010 |isbn=9781584874324}}{{rp|2}}</ref>
