North Korea has intensified its covert foreign currency operations by sending elite IT workers to China and Southeast Asia as freelancers.
According to a Daily NK source in North Korea recently, several teams of young researchers in their late 20s and early 30s from Kim Il Sung University’s Information Technology Institute were dispatched to the region last month to work on freelance platforms. These workers are replacing the previous cohort of North Korean IT freelancers and primarily focus on web development, app creation, and cryptocurrency projects.
The decision to send highly qualified researchers from Kim Il Sung University’s prestigious IT Institute signals a strategic shift to maximize earnings through freelance platforms in China and Southeast Asia. “The authorities are treating this IT deployment as a major state policy to enhance national competitiveness in technology while expanding foreign currency revenue streams,” the source explained.
While North Korea has a history of sending IT workers abroad, the mass deployment of such high-caliber personnel is unprecedented. This move indicates an increasingly sophisticated approach to foreign currency operations, particularly in illicit sectors leveraging advanced IT expertise.
“These IT-based revenue operations in China and Southeast Asia represent a core party strategy for generating funds,” noted the source. “As a result, the authorities are conducting these deployments with extreme secrecy to avoid international scrutiny.”
The operation is overseen by the Central Committee and Ministry of State Security, which conducted final selection interviews in mid-2024. Selected candidates underwent six months of technical assessment and security training in a restricted facility. The agencies evaluated lessons learned from previous deployments and developed new strategies before sending out the latest group.
The process wasn’t without complications – a security breach occurred during the screening and training phase. “One researcher was removed from the program for leaking classified information,” the source revealed. “Following this incident, the Central Committee and Ministry of State Security strengthened their security protocols before proceeding with the scheduled deployment.”
In response to the breach, authorities have repeatedly emphasized to the newly deployed personnel the critical importance of maintaining operational security regarding their overseas activities and the strategic nature of their mission.
Source: Elite N. Korean IT teams infiltrate global freelance platforms – Daily NK English
