The ministry reported that North Korea imported weapons and equipment worth $60 million last year from China, Russia, Germany, Slovakia and Austria. These include combat planes, ship accessories, tires for armored vehicles and communications equipment.

In 2001, Pyongyang imported combat plane parts, armored vehicles, helicopters and gunpowder worth $120 million from China and Russia; in 2000 it bought aircraft parts, air-search radars, engines, automatic navigation devices, military jeeps and others worth $100 million from Japan, Germany, Russia, China and Belarus. In 1998 and 1999, Pyongyang imported MIG-21s combat planes, engines, submarine parts, helicopters and gunpowder worth $240 million.

North Korea also exported Scud missiles and missile accessories worth $60 million last year to Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Iran. In 1999 and 2001, it exported missile-related accessories worth $30 million and $20 million respectively to countries such as Yemen, Pakistan and Syria.

Russia, in response to criticism that it has been providing offensive weapons to North Korea, said Wednesday that its military technology cooperation with Pyongyang has been severed because of North Korea’s severe economic crisis.

“Because the UN’s weapon export prohibitions do not apply to North Korea, we are able to supply North Korea with weapons," said Russian Defense Deputy Minister Michael Dmitriev. "But Russia’s weapon trade is based on the principle of commercialism, so North Korea’s current economic circumstances preclude trade on a large scale.”

Russia is cooperating with both South and North Korea, he continued. "So we must consider the military balance on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, restraints exist against supplying North Korea with offensive weapons.” (Yoo Yong-won, kysu@chosun.com )