Fifth United States-Republic of Korea Working Group Meeting on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Cyber Threats

On November 6 and 7, the United States hosted the Fifth U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Working Group to counter cyber threats posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Led by Deputy Special Representative for the DPRK Dr. Jung Pak and ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs Lee Jun-il, the meeting underscored the close collaboration between the U.S. and ROK governments to disrupt the DPRK’s ability to generate revenue through malicious cyber activity, crypto thefts, and IT workers, which it uses to fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.

The United States and the ROK are pursuing a wide range of actions to prevent and disrupt DPRK cryptocurrency heists and other cyber-enabled revenue generation; address DPRK cyber espionage against the defense sector; and dismantle DPRK IT worker infrastructure and networks. The Working Group meeting also focused on greater diplomatic outreach coordination, information sharing, and capacity building for nations vulnerable to the DPRK threat.

For the latest update on tactics used by DPRK IT workers to fraudulently obtain remote employment with companies around the world, read the most recent public service announcement  that provides additional guidance on the DPRK IT Worker Advisory. Follow the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy on LinkedIn and Twitter (@StateCDP) for more.