This file photo, provided by South Korea’s foreign ministry, shows Lee Jun-il (R), the director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs at the ministry, and U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak posing for a photo at the ministry in Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea and the United States are pushing for a “wide range of actions” to prevent North Korea’s cryptocurrency theft, cyber espionage and other activities used to bankroll the recalcitrant regime’s evolving nuclear and missile programs, the State Department said Tuesday.
The two sides discussed those issues during a bilateral working group meeting on North Korean cyberthreats in Washington on Monday and Tuesday, the department said, amid reports that Pyongyang has engaged in extensive cyber operations to generate revenue to advance its weapons programs.
Lee Jun-il, the director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs at Seoul’s foreign ministry, and U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak led the meeting.
“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 department said in a press release.
ROK and DPRK stand for the official names of South Korea and North Korea, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, respectively.
The department said this week’s meeting — the fifth of its kind — also focused on greater diplomatic outreach coordination, information sharing and capacity building for nations vulnerable to North Korean threats.
It also called attention to last month’s updated guidance on tactics that North Korean IT workers use to fraudulently obtain remote employment with companies around the world.
The guidance delineates indicators of potential North Korean IT workers’ activities, such as an unwillingness to appear on camera or conduct video interviews, and measures to prevent the inadvertent or unwitting hiring of North Korean IT personnel.
Seoul and Washington have stepped up efforts to fend off illicit North Korean cyber activities as North Korean hackers were reported to be responsible for cryptocurrency theft worth nearly US$1.7 billion last year alone, apparently as part of efforts to fund its weapons programs.
(Yonhap)
