Kim Jong Un's single goal: train and deploy thousands of workers globally
First, new identities are crafted, and documents are forged, followed by their deployment to work abroad. This constitutes the earning strategy deployed by North Korean authorities under the leadership of Kim Jong Un. The funds collected are channeled toward rocket programs.
6:41 AM EST, November 24, 2023
Reuters news agency has obtained documents, further verified by the account of a former North Korean IT worker, which suggests that getting work abroad necessitates intricate strategies aimed at convincing Western recruiters.
It seems that North Korean IT professionals, looking for employment opportunities in Western technology firms, resort to using false surnames, LinkedIn profiles, deceitful work documents, and even rehearsed scripts for job interviews.
Research released by the US, South Korea, and the UN indicates that over the past four years, North Korea has dispatched thousands of trained IT professionals abroad. These deployments act as a fundraising strategy for nuclear missile programs in Pyongyang, according to the information on the website.
Comprehensive Training in Basic Communication Provided as well
IT experts receive specialized training to navigate recruitment processes successfully. They are taught to communicate freely, an act that could invoke legal criminal consequences in orthodox North Korea.
Researchers from Palo Alto Networks uncovered job interview scripts where North Korean IT professionals use phony resumes, forged online profiles, and deceptive identities to sway recruiters.
US Response
The United States Department of Justice highlighted that North Korean IT professionals working remotely can earn over ten times more than physical laborers working abroad. Some interview preparation scripts, astonishingly, even provide excuses related to the necessity of remote work.
Collectively, IT teams could have potentially earned over 3 million dollars in 2022.
In October of the previous year, the Department of Justice and the FBI seized control of 17 internet domains. These domains were reportedly used by North Korean IT professionals to defraud companies out of 1.5 million dollars.
The US government reports indicate that most North Korean IT professionals are based in China and Russia, while many are in Africa and Southeast Asia. Each has an earning potential of up to $300,000 a year, with a substantial part of that income reportedly being seized by the North Korean government.
