In 1976, a major diplomatic triumph for North Korea was reversed when their ambassadors to Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland were expelled just shortly after ties had been established - the first relations with Western countries. The diplomats were accused of using their position systematically to smuggle. In 1993, Shin Kanemaru, a senior politician from Japan 's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was disgraced when large amounts of gold were found in his office. The unmarked ingots were believed to have come from North Korea. Witnesses report that the train from Pyong Yang to Moscow is regularly searched and large amounts of drugs are seized.
Some sources speak of channels formerly running through the Arab Gulf countries.
In the 1990s, North Korea is widely believed to have sold medium-range Scud missiles to both Syria and Iran.