Two of Macau’s Portuguese language publications have reported that North Korea has emptied its bank accounts in the territory, thus eliminating its economic ties that placed Macau under international scrutiny for assisting the reclusive dictatorship by allowing it to conduct illegal activities through the Banco Delta Asia.
The Portuguese language newspaper PONTO FINAL reported that Macau Monetary Authority's (AMCM) administrator, Felix Pontes, commented sarcastically that ‘nowadays North Korea has no bank account in Macau, unless it's in an illegal bank’. He added ‘ever since the Banco Delta Asia case there are no indications that North-Korean institutions have deposits in local banks”.
The news was first reported by South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, and the move signals a concern by the North Korean regime that its assets might be frozen due to escalating tensions between the isolated country and the international community due to its continued nuclear arms program and ballistic missile tests.