US, South Korea announce new North Korea sanctions on IT workers

The governments of the United States and South Korea on Tuesday (May 23) announced new North Korean sanctions related to thousands of IT workers, many operating in China and Russia, whose labours allegedly help fund weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile programmes. Accordingto a statement issued by the US Treasury Department, "The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) conducts malicious cyber activities and deploys information technology (IT) workers who fraudulently obtain employment to generate revenue, including in virtual currency, to support the Kim regime and its priorities, such as its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programmes."

The Treasury Department said that one individual Kim Sang Man, and the North Korea-based Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company were sanctioned jointly (by the US and South Korea) in relation to their IT worker activities.

North Korea oversees thousands of IT workers worldwide, primarily those in China and Russiato generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programmes, the statement said.

"In some cases, DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) IT workers can each earn more than $300,000 per year. These workers deliberately obfuscate their identities, locations, and nationalities, typically using fake personas, proxy accounts, stolen identities, and falsified or forged documentation to apply for jobs at these companies," it added.

Three N.Korean entities previously sanctioned by South Korea

The department also said that three entities - the 110th Research Center, Pyongyang University of Automation, and Technical Reconnaissance Bureau - were previously sanctioned by South Korea for engaging in cyber operations and illicit revenue generation that support North Korea's WMD programs.

Technical Reconnaissance Bureau currently leads North Korea's offensive cyber efforts and oversees staff affiliated with the infamous Lazarus hacking group.

Lazarus had been accused of carrying out some of the largest virtual currency heists to date. "On March 23, 2022, the Lazarus Group carried out the largest virtual currency heist to date, stealing about $620 million in virtual currency from a blockchain project linked to the online game Axie Infinity," the department also said on Tuesday.

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