The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it imposed sanctions on two entities and six individuals to disrupt the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) government’s efforts to defraud U.S. businesses.
“Today, the United States sanctioned two entities and six individuals involved in operations using Information Technology (IT) workers in foreign countries to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) government,” The Office of the Spokesperson confirmed in a statement published on the State Department’s website.
The State Department revealed that the government-arranged measures meticulously defraud U.S. businesses and funnel their proceeds towards the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, citing a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, titled The DPRK’s Violation and Evasion of UN Sanctions Through Cyber and Information Technology Worker Activities.
“DPRK-facilitated IT teams commonly use fraudulent documentation, stolen identities, and fabricated personas to conceal their true identities and gain employment with legitimate companies worldwide,” the media note states.
The statement asserts that the illegal revenue streams through cryptocurrency heists and overseas IT worker operations threaten U.S. citizens, international security, and the global digital economy.
“The United States strongly condemns all activities of DPRK-associated entities that support the DPRK’s weapons programs in violation of UN and U.S. sanctions,” the statement adds. “Today’s action holds accountable those who target U.S. persons and support the DPRK’s illegal weapons programs.”
The media note concludes by commending the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team for its commitment to enforcing the U.S.’s persistence against such threats.
