North Korea is likely to face tougher sanctions, including measures to curb its cyberattack capabilities, if it conducts a pending nuclear test. This was stated by South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Reuters reported.

North Korea is already under various UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, and the UN Security Council is likely to pass a much stronger resolution if it continues the test, including measures against its hackers, he noted.

It is necessary to tighten sanctions against North Korean IT professionals who are abroad who earn money through illegal cyber hacking activities, he said.

The United States and South Korea said that North Korea has mobilized thousands of hackers to steal funds, including cryptocurrencies. The North Korean foreign ministry denied the allegation and said its weapons programs were designed to protect her.

Several US officials, including Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber ​​Security and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger, visited South Korea this week to discuss the response to North Korea's weapons tests and ways to restart stalled denuclearization talks.

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006. It also tested ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.