North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a military parade for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, October 10, 2020. KCNA via REUTERS North Korea faces an array of US and international sanctions that have made it the most isolated country in the world. But Pyongyang has found many ways to get around those restrictions, relying on smuggling and theft to enrich its leaders and finance its military. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. The Department of Justice said last month that North Korea has used cyberattacks to steal over $1 billion since 2015 to fund its nuclear weapons program.Heavy sanctions, imposed by both the US and the UN, prevent North Korea from participating in the formal global economy.