It was established in 1982, located in Vienna, Austria, and owned by Taesong Bank.[2] In 2003, the Austrian Interior Ministry released a report that claimed that the bank was engaging in espionage, "money-laundering, the distribution of forged currency and illegal trade with radioactive substances."[3][4] The bank was closed in June 2004 amid suspicions of money laundering and the funding of North Korean arms, although there was not enough evidence to start a criminal trial.[1]