A human rights activist has referred a well-known Australian geologist to the Canberra government over his involvement in a North Korean mining project potentially violating UN sanctions.

Ken Kato, director of Human Rights in Asia told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that a joint venture between the SRE Minerals, a private equity firm based in the British Virgin Islands, and the North’s Korea Natural Resources Trading Corporation should be investigated as a violation of UN Security Council resolution 2094.