Australian man sentenced to three years in jail for trying to sell North Korean missile parts

Chan Han Choi, a civil engineer born in South Korea who moved to Australia in the 1980s, pleaded guilty in February to breaching UN sanctions

He was accused of brokering the sale of arms and related material from Pyongyang in exchange for petroleum products and attempting to export coal

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Chan Han Choi leaving the Supreme Courts in Sydney earlier this year. Photo: EPA

Published: 5:34pm, 27 Jul 2021Updated: 5:49pm, 27 Jul 2021

An Australian man was sentenced to more than three years in prison after attempting to help sell North Korean missile parts and other goods in contravention of United Nations sanctions, authorities said on Tuesday.

Chan Han Choi, 62, from Sydney, was charged in 2017 with offences including seeking to broker deals between North Korea and Indonesia.

After initially denying the charges, he pleaded guilty in February to breaching sanctions by brokering the sale of arms and related material from Pyongyang in exchange for petroleum products and attempting to export coal from North Korea to Indonesia.

Choi, a civil engineer born in South Korea who moved to Australia in the 1980s, was sentenced last week to three years and six months in prison, capping what the Australian Federal Police (AFP) described as a complex investigation with a unique international span.

“The actions of this man were in contravention of UN sanctions, which means a great deal of effort and organisation was required on his part to facilitate these illegal acts,” AFP Detective Acting Inspector Kris Wilson said in a statement.

“The sale of these items could have jeopardised countless lives, and all AFP members involved in this investigation should be proud of their efforts.”

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