North Korea sent me abroad to be a secret IT worker. My wages funded the regime

How North Korean IT Workers Use Fake Identities to Get Remote Jobs and Fund the Regime

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How North Korean IT Workers Use Fake Identities to Get Remote Jobs and Fund the Regime

In the era of remote work and global freelancing, a hidden cyber operation is quietly thriving — one in which North Korea has strategically positioned IT workers around the world to earn foreign income using stolen or borrowed identities. These tech professionals, often masked behind Western digital personas, are secretly generating millions of dollars to funnel directly back into Kim Jong-un’s heavily sanctioned regime.

Inside North Korea’s Global IT Labor Network

One former participant, a defector known only as Jin-su, revealed that he worked for years under this covert system. Operating mainly from China, he was part of a well-organized network of IT workers deployed abroad to earn as much foreign currency as possible. Jin-su told the BBC that he used over 100 fake identities to secure remote jobs with Western companies, often juggling multiple contracts at once and earning at least $5,000 monthly.

According to a United Nations Security Council report published in March 2024, North Korea’s overseas IT workers generate an estimated $250 million to $600 million annually. These funds are critical to sustaining the country’s economy, particularly under the weight of international sanctions related to its nuclear weapons development... Read complete content click link below

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How They Get the Jobs: Exploiting Remote Hiring Loopholes The success of these operations largely depends on the ability to hide the workers’ true nationality. Jin-su explained how he would first pose as Chinese and then recruit individuals in Turkey, Hungary, or the UK to lease their digital identities in return for a cut of his wages. This allowed him to create credible online profiles on job platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr, which he then used to land jobs in the US and Europe.

“Using an Asian face was risky,” he said. “But if you used a Western identity, especially from the UK or US, you had a better chance of getting hired.”

Many platforms do not require video interviews or extensive background checks, making them vulnerable to deception. Most communication occurs through Slack, email, or GitHub, enabling North Korean workers to operate discreetly without triggering suspicion. Jin-su claimed that it wasn’t unusual for companies to unknowingly hire multiple North Korean nationals on different contracts at the same time.

Where the Money Goes and Who Helps Facilitate It

Jin-su reported that up to 85% of his earnings were sent back to the North Korean government, typically via intermediaries in China or local networks in Western countries. Last week, a U.S. woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for her role in helping North Korean workers obtain jobs and transfer funds.

This activity is separate from North Korea’s infamous hacking operations, such as those carried out by the Lazarus Group, which has been linked to large-scale crypto heists. In one major incident, Lazarus was blamed for stealing $1.5 billion from Bybit, a cryptocurrency exchange.

The remote IT workforce, however, focuses more on steady income than overt hacking — though data breaches and ransom attacks have been reported in some cases.

Daily Life and Why Few Defect

Life for these IT workers, though better than inside North Korea, is still heavily controlled. Jin-su described a restrictive existence where workers were prohibited from going outside, exercising, or communicating freely. Still, having access to Western media while abroad opened his eyes to life beyond state propaganda.

Yet despite the exposure, few IT workers defect. The risks are immense: heightened surveillance in China, fear of punishment for their families back home, and the cultural mindset of enduring hardship. Most workers comply, finish their contracts, and return to North Korea with their small share of the income.

Today, Jin-su continues to work in IT, this time under his real identity. Although he earns less now, he keeps all of it, and he’s no longer involved in illegal operations. “It’s honest work,” he said, “and I finally have control over my life.”

Source: BBC News

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