Glocom (defence company)

Glocom, or Global Communications Co, is a defence company that sells battlefield radio equipment and accessories.[1]

Not to be confused with the Middle Eastern communication and digital images company Glocom.

Its website claims it is based in Malaysia.[2][3][4] However, in 2017 a United Nations (UN) report, submitted to the United Nations Security Council, claimed that Glocom was a front company for the government of North Korea in order to sell military equipment in violation of United Nations sanctions.[3][4] The report claimed Glocom appeared to be run by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) company Pan Systems Pyongyang Branch, which was affiliated with the DPRK intelligence agency Reconnaissance General Bureau.[5][6] In 2017, Pan Systems Pyongyang Branch claimed it had no connection to Glocom[7][2] and the Malaysian foreign ministry denied that it had violated UN sanctions.[8]

Despite its YouTube channels repeatedly being shut down, Glocom advertised "radar systems, communications software, and military radio gear" on the video streaming service in 2017,[9][10] 2018[11] and 2019.[10] It advertised similar equipment on Twitter in 2018[11] and 2019[10] and on Facebook in 2019.[10]

References
  1. Smith, Nicola (7 June 2018). "Shadowy North Korean network is secretly selling face and fingerprint scanning tech". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-03-14 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  2. Griffiths, James. "North Korea flouting sanctions with illegal arms trade, report finds". CNN. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  3. McKay, Tom. "Alleged North Korean Front Company Still Using the Same Brand Name on Social Media, Apparently". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  4. Pearson, James (27 February 2017). "North Korea spy agency runs arms operation out of Malaysia, U.N. says". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  5. "Reality Check: How North Korea does business". BBC News. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-14 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. O’Keeffe, Kate; Talley, Ian (12 December 2017). "How North Korea's Global Financing Web Works Around Sanctions". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-03-15 – via www.wsj.com.
  7. Toh, Raynold (28 February 2017). "Singapore firm denies link to North Korean front company". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  8. "Malaysia rejects 'insinuation' it violated U.N. sanctions on North..." Reuters. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-15 – via www.reuters.com.
  9. Cox, Joseph (23 August 2017). "Shady North Korean Military Contractor Found a Home on YouTube". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2019-03-14 – via www.thedailybeast.com.
  10. Cox, Joseph; Maiberg, Emanuel (13 March 2019). "North Korea Advertises Military Hardware on Twitter, YouTube, Defying Sanctions". Motherboard. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  11. Talley, Ian; Wong, Chun Han; Wright, Tom (16 September 2018). "New Doubts Emerge About U.S.-Led Sanctions on North Korea". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-03-15 – via www.wsj.com.
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