US, South Korea Impose New Sanctions on North Korea Targeting IT Workforce

The United States and South Korea have issued a new round of sanctions on North Korea, this time targeting its IT workforce. The two countries have alleged that the IT workforce helped fund Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs.

On Tuesday, the two allies announced that they would be imposing a new round of sanctions on North Korea. This time, Seoul and Washington targeted its IT workforce that is based in China and Russia, arguing that their work is helping Pyongyang fund its nuclear and missile programs. The US Treasury said that one individual, Kim Sang-Man, and the North Korea-based Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company were jointly sanctioned by the two allies over the IT worker activities.

The South Korean foreign ministry separately announced sanctions on seven individuals and three entities, including Kim and Chinyong.

The Treasury said North Korea oversees thousands of IT workers all over the world but are mainly based in China and Russia. The Treasury argued that the workers “generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.” The Treasury noted that the workers Pyongyang oversees hide their identities, nationalities, and locations and make use of forged documents when they apply for jobs. The alleged workers also work in a range of positions and sectors.

The State Department has previously warned that hiring IT workers from North Korea could result in instances of intellectual property theft. The Treasury also cited three entities that Seoul has already sanctioned – the 110th Research Center, Pyongyang University of Automation, and the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau – for engaging in cyber operations and illicit revenue generation that funds North Korea’s weapons programs.

Meanwhile, a report published on Wednesday by the 2023 Global Slavery Index found that North Korea has the highest prevalence of modern slavery, followed by Eritrea and Mauritania. The report found that the isolated nation has 104.6 for every 1,000 people while Eritrea had 90 and Mauritania with 32, becoming the last country in 1981 to criminalize hereditary slavery.

The report also noted a “worsening” global trend following its previous survey five years ago.

Photo: Micha Brandli/Unsplash