Reward of 6.6 Billion Won Offered... Preview Posted on Korean Account for 'Compensation for Justice'

US State Department "Help Dismantle Cyber Threats"
North Korean Hackers Steal 2 Trillion Won in Cryptocurrency and More

Last year, the amount stolen by North Korea through cybercrime is estimated to be the largest ever, and the U.S. government has offered a reward exceeding $6 billion to encourage tips on North Korea's illegal cyber activities.

U.S. State Department Urges "Report North Korea's Illegal Cyber Activities Now"

The 'Rewards for Justice (RFJ)' program operated by the U.S. State Department announced a reward for tips on North Korea's illegal cyber activities on the 10th via the X (formerly Twitter) Korean account (RFJ_Korean).

The U.S. State Department asked, "Do you know about North Korea's illegal cyber activities?" and stated, "You can earn up to $5 million (approximately 6.6 billion KRW) with your information." They added, "Help dismantle cyber threats."

The U.S. State Department emphasized reporting through anonymous networks to protect the identity of informants. They further stated, "Your security is RFJ's priority," and advised, "Please report via Tor (an anonymous network) based connections."

[Image source=U.S. Department of State 'Rewards for Justice' X account]

They also explained, "Actors supported by North Korea, including those in the information technology sector, infiltrate, damage, and steal information and money, including cryptocurrency, from foreign governments, financial institutions, companies, and individuals worldwide to fund the regime's illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs."

They emphasized, "Your information helps disrupt revenue generation and money laundering schemes," and urged, "Report now. You can receive a reward."

The 'Rewards for Justice' program started in 1984, and over 100 individuals who contributed to counterterrorism efforts have received more than $150 million (approximately 198.6 billion KRW) in rewards to date.

"North Korea Steals Cryptocurrency to Pour into Nuclear Program"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, experts analyzed that the scale of virtual currency stolen by North Korea last year exceeded 2 trillion KRW. The United Nations Security Council's Panel of Experts on North Korea Sanctions reported to the Security Council that "North Korean hackers are estimated to have broken the previous record with $1.7 billion (approximately 2.2 trillion KRW) stolen through cyber theft last year."

The expert panel pointed out in the report that hackers from North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau "are increasingly using sophisticated cyber techniques to extract funds and information." They added, "Especially companies in foreign cryptocurrency, defense, energy, and healthcare sectors have been targeted," and analyzed that "North Korea continues to access the international financial system to conduct illegal financial operations."

In this regard, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, criticized on the 20th of last month, saying, "About half of North Korea's nuclear program is likely funded by stolen cryptocurrency," and stated, "North Korea steals cryptocurrency and uses China's money laundering networks to funnel that money into its nuclear program."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.