Police are investigating whether North Korean IT workers used stolen identities to land jobs at a South Korean company, in what authorities say is the first known case of suspected North Korean IT operatives infiltrating a domestic firm through employment. The National Police Agency’s security investigation bureau began investigating after learning that the workers allegedly concealed their identities and used other people’s personal information to get hired. They reportedly worked as software developers.If North Korea’s overseas IT workforce, which has largely operated from countries such as China and Russia, has indeed infiltrated South Korea, the implications are serious. It would expose a major vulnerability in the country’s national security. The workers may have entered South Korea clandestinely for reasons beyond earning foreign currency for the regime. Investigators must determine whether they also tried to steal advanced technology, state secrets or other sensitive information from the company or other businesses and institutions connected to its operations. The probe should also be expanded to identify possible accomplices, support networks and other operatives who may have secured jobs under false identities.North Korea’s overseas IT operations are becoming increasingly brazen. In mid-October, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation searched more than 40 residences in Texas linked to North Korean IT workers and seized 187 laptops and peripheral devices allegedly used to facilitate unauthorized access. In June last year, the U.S. Department of Justice said it had uncovered 29 so-called North Korean “laptop farms” across 16 states. U.S. intelligence officials also believe thousands of North Korean IT workers may have obtained jobs under false identities at Fortune 500 companies. Highly trained North Korean specialists are extending their reach into countries they consider adversaries.Artificial intelligence is making their methods harder to detect. North Korean operatives are reportedly using AI assistants to improve their chances of getting hired under false identities and to overcome language barriers while working remotely as developers. AI tools are also enabling North Korean hackers to mount increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks on a broader scale. The question is whether South Korea’s government, public institutions and private companies are doing enough to prepare for these threats.South Korea cannot afford another case of North Korean operatives passing themselves off as legitimate employees at domestic companies. Yet the latest discovery may be only the tip of the iceberg. Investigators must work closely with the country’s intelligence agencies and pursue every lead. The government must also move quickly to reassess and strengthen national security measures through a coordinated, whole-of-government effort.
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