“IT manpower profits used for nuclear and missile development”
Information on additional precautions to prevent employment
On the 119th, South Korea and the United States jointly issued a government advisory recommending that domestic and foreign companies and individuals increase caution to avoid hiring or assisting in the activities of North Korean IT personnel with disguised nationality and identity.
This is a recent trend added to the ‘Joint Government Advisory on North Korean IT Personnel’ announced by the South Korean and US governments in May and December of last year, respectively.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “North Korean IT personnel stay overseas and disguise their nationality and identity to receive work orders from IT companies around the world, earning hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency every year. A significant portion of their profits go to the North Korean regime’s nuclear weapons and missiles. “It is being used as development and governance funds,” he said.
He continued, “The act of ordering work and paying for North Korean IT personnel not only harms the company’s reputation, but also exposes it to risks such as North Korean personnel accessing the company’s confidential information or stealing assets.” “Special caution is required as it may conflict with the UN Security Council sanctions resolution against North Korea and the domestic laws of South Korea and the United States,” he said.
This joint advisory between South Korea and the United States introduces new methods and activity patterns that North Korean IT personnel have been known to use to disguise their identities since the governments of South Korea and the United States each issued advisories last year.
In addition, it provides information on additional precautions that IT companies can take to prevent them from unintentionally hiring North Korean workers.
The advisory is an indicator that can identify North Korean IT personnel. If a person to be hired ▲ shows signs of misconduct during interviews, etc. ▲ the language used on the resume does not match the region of origin ▲ requests a different payment method instead of account information related to salary payment. Cases such as ▲cases where the freight forwarding company’s exclusive address, rather than your home address, are submitted as the pick-up location for goods provided by the company, etc.
In response, IT companies are taking additional precautions, such as conducting thorough background checks on job candidates, being careful to verify employees’ accounts and physical addresses, and implementing enhanced security measures to protect company networks and confidential information. It was recommended that it be implemented.
If there are cases in which North Korean IT personnel are suspected of engaging in illegal activities, such as trying to obtain work from Korean companies by disguising their identity and nationality, the government will contact the National Intelligence Service (www.nis.go.kr, 111), the National Police Agency (ecrm), etc. It is recommended to report to the relevant agency, such as .police.go.kr, 112).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “We expect that the announcement of this joint advisory between Korea and the United States will help raise awareness in the international community about North Korean IT human resources activities and prevent the possibility of companies and individuals in the IT field unintentionally hiring North Korean human resources.” reported.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.