For North Korean Spies, Vienna Provides Key Gateway to Europe
- Role of Austrian capital may grow under Biden administration
- North Korean envoys use Vienna for smuggling, raising money
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The bestselling author of espionage novels, John le Carré, often places his spies in Vienna. So does Kim Jong Un.
The Austrian capital has long been a smuggling hub for the heavily sanctioned North Korean regime and a gateway to Europe for the small number of spooks it has based on the continent. But the city could grow in importance to Pyongyang if U.S. President-elect Joe Biden convinces Kim to consider rolling back his weapons program: As home to the United Nations’ top nuclear watchdog, Vienna would potentially play a monitoring role.