Myong Chol Min 명철민 confirmed
Also known as: Myong Chol-Min
Actor-cluster tags
Photo
Wanted-notice details
Status: Designated by OFAC on July 24, 2025 under Executive Order 13810, program tag DPRK4, as a North Korean person engaged in commercial activity that generates revenue for the Government of North Korea; subject of a State Department reward offer of up to $3 million
| Location | North Korea |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 25, 1966 |
| Place of Birth | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Nationality | North Korean |
| Sex | Male |
| Hair | Black |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Passport | 745338501 (North Korea), issued September 19, 2015, expires September 19, 2020 |
Caution
Myong Chol Min is a North Korea-based trade representative of multiple DPRK-based companies and has worked closely with Kim Se Un in order to facilitate various business deals and avoid sanctions to generate revenue for the DPRK. Myong Chol Min has also attempted to facilitate the import of tobacco and other products to North Korea.
Remarks
From about August 2007 until about December 2020, Myong Chol-Min and others, both known and unknown, allegedly conspired to import tobacco into North Korea and pay for it in U.S. dollars, in violation of U.S. sanctions against North Korea. The co-conspirators used false shipping records to smuggle tobacco and other goods into North Korea, and front companies to launder U.S. dollar payments related to these shipments. To facilitate these transactions, the co-conspirators deceived correspondent banks in the United States, which would not have processed these transactions had they been aware of the connection to North Korea. It is believed that the imported tobacco was used to manufacture counterfeit cigarettes, with the proceeds from their sales benefiting the North Korean regime. From about April 2021 until about June 2023, Myong Chol-Min and others, both known and unknown, purchased tobacco and tobacco products in U.S. dollars, in violation of U.S. sanctions against North Korea. The co-conspirators discussed ways of circumventing the sanctions to allow the trade to continue, including the use of false shipping records and bulk cash payments. On March 27, 2025, Myong Chol-Min and his co-conspirators were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and charged with three counts: conspiracy to violate IEEPA, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Reward
The U.S. Department of State, under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Myong Chol-Min.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page is drawn from the public records listed below.
- Recent Actions, July 24, 2025: North Korea Designations (Korea Sobaeksu Trading Corporation) — U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), 2025-07-24 sanctions designation
- Treasury Sanctions Clandestine IT Worker Network Funding the DPRK's Weapons Programs — U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2025-07-24 press release
- Myong Chol-Min: Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, reward of up to $3 million — U.S. Department of State, 2025-07-24 wanted notice