Former Japanese Defense Minister Yuriko Koike says North Korea has recently set up a trading firm that handles the export of missiles and nuclear technology to Iran.

Koike made the claim in an article contributed to the German economic daily “Handelsblatt,” reportedly quoting an internal document from the leadership of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party that was provided by a source from the communist state.

Koike also said that some six-thousand North Koreans are working as low-wage laborers in the areas of construction and clothing in the Middle East. She added that the number of North Korean technical experts in Iran and Syria is on the rise.

Koike speculated that North Korea is reaping massive amounts of foreign currency through its missile and nuclear projects with Iran.

She stressed the need for democratic nations in Asia to cooperate more closely on building a missile defense system, as Pyongyang is likely to step up efforts to strengthen its relations with Iran despite international sanctions.