Hackers linked to North Korea stole more than $1.3 billion from crypto platforms this year, marking the largest ever annual amount that they have raked in from hacking activities, a report from a blockchain analysis firm showed Thursday.

Chainalysis released its analysis on North Korea-affiliated hackers' activities, saying that they stole $1.34 billion across 47 incidents, marking a significant jump from roughly $660.50 million across 20 incidents recorded last year.

"Hackers linked to North Korea have become notorious for their sophisticated and relentless tradecraft, often employing advanced malware, social engineering, and cryptocurrency theft to fund state-sponsored operations and circumvent international sanctions," Chainalysis said in the report.

"US and international officials have assessed that Pyongyang uses the crypto it steals to finance its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles programs, endangering international security," it added.

The rise in North Korean hackers' activities came despite stepped-up efforts by Seoul and Washington to curb and prevent their cyber activities that they believe are designed to help bankroll Pyongyang's advancing weapons programs. (Yonhap)