It was found that North Korea hacked a game company in March this year and stole about 830 billion won worth of cryptocurrency. With one hack, he earned enough revenue to cover the cost of launching ballistic missiles in the first half of the year. International cooperation on North Korea’s illegal cyber activities, which focuses on South Korea and the United States, is expected to be strengthened.
On the 17th, at the Korea-US Joint Public-Private Symposium on Countermeasures Against North Korean Cryptocurrency Theft, Kim Gunn, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters, said, “North Korea has hacked a game company called ‘Exy Infinity’ in March this year, resulting in a loss of 620 million dollars (about 830 billion won). They stole the cryptocurrency,” he said. He added, “It is estimated that North Korea fired 31 ballistic missiles in the first half of this year alone, wasting between 400 million and 650 million dollars (about 870 billion win).”
“Crypto currency exchanges provide profits for North Korea to engage in malicious cyber activities,” said Chung Park, US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, who attended the symposium co-hosted with the US State Department and to fund a weapons program . ” He also emphasized, “The $620 million in digital currency stolen by North Korea in March is a lot of money that can be used to procure materials for ballistic missiles.”
The Joe Biden administration in the United States points to North Korean cybercrime as a source of funding for the development of nuclear and ballistic missile programs. US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mallorcas said in written remarks at a House Homeland Committee hearing on the 15th (local time), “In the last two years alone, North Korea has been involved in a large amount of extortion cryptocurrency and dollar cyber of more than $1 billion (about 1.316 trillion won). It funds the Lethal Weapons (WMD) program.” On the 16th (local time), Free Asia Broadcasting (RFA) reported that the US Department of Justice is focusing on tracking and recovering cryptocurrency stolen by cybercriminal groups in North Korea.
Reporter Nari Shin journari@donga.com
