North Korea sent me abroad to be a secret computer employee. My salaries financed the regime

Jin-Su said that over the years he used to make hundreds of falsification of hundreds of companies to work with western companies. It was part of a non-coverage scheme for collecting Funds in North Korea.

Many dancing jobs in the US and Europe would do at least $ 5,000 (£ 3750) per month, BBC told him in a strange interview. Some colleagues, he said, would win much more.

Before defecting, his name was changed to protect his identity – it was believed to be sent abroad to China and Russian, or in Africa and anywhere else, participating in the operating of Hidden North Korea.

North Korean staff is very controlled and has spoken little to the media, but Jin-Su gave BBC extensive testimonies to find out what everyday life is cheating and how they work. Its first account confirms a large part of what is calculated in the United Nations and Cyber security reports.

85% of what he won said he sent the regime to finance. In North Korean Cash, international sanctions have been in years.

“We know that it is like theft, but we accept as our fate,” Jin-Su said, “It’s much better than we were in North Korea.”

The secrets of IT workers generate about $ 250 million for North Koreans, according to the United Nations published in March 2024. The scheme rose in the Pandemia when the distance work was common, and since the authorities and cyber defenders warned.

Most employees have been constantly sent to the regime, but in some cases, they have stolen data or broken employers and requested ransom.

Last year, US Court accused of 14 North Korean He allegedly won $ 88 million in disguise and US companies working within six years.

Supposedly fraudulent identities used four North Korean more to get a company in the US Kryptocurrency to be a US Kryptocurrency company.

Jin-Su was for the regime in China a few years earlier than the error. He and his colleagues would mostly work in 10 teams, told BBC.

Internet access is limited to North Korean, but abroad, these employees can function easier. Nationality should be disguised not only to pay by impersonating westerners, but in response to the programs of North Korea, especially North Korea, especially for its international sanctions.

This scheme is distinguished from North Korean hacking operations which also includes money for the regime. This year earlier Lazarus Group – Hacking team working for North Korea, never accepted – It is believed to steal 1,5 million dollars from the cryptoculting phynbite ($ 1.5 million).

Jin-Sek gave most of the time to ensure the fraudulent identities that can be used to ask for work. He would first put it as a Chinese to contact the people of Hungary, Turkish and other countries, asked for his identity in exchange for a percentage of his profits, told BBC.

“If you put” Asian face “in this profile, you will never get a job.”

He then would use these borrowed identities to approach people in Western Europe, because he would use jobs in the US and Europe. Jin-Sur often found it aimed at citizens of the United Kingdom.

“With a little chatter, people in the UK easily passed the identities,” he said.

Employees who speak English better sometimes manage the process of applications. But the works of freelancer also don’t necessarily need interviews with interviews, and often happen in platforms to stop everyday interactions, you don’t think.

Jin-fire said that BBC addressed the US market mostly, “because salaries are higher in American companies”. He claimed that so many employees were finding employment, many companies would hire more than one North Korean. “It happens a lot,” he said.

It is understood that employees collect profits through the networks of facilitators based on the west and China. Last week a US woman was sentenced to prison for more than eight years They find jobs related to staff related to North Korean students and send money.

BBC cannot independently check the specifications of the Jin-Suren testimony, but through PscoreWe have read the testimony of another employee that supports Jin-SU claims in North Korea.

BBC also, North Seung Lee, North Koreans worked in North Koreans while traveling as a regime in China. Confirmed that he had similar experiences.

BBC spoke with multiple recruiting managers in the cyber Security and software development sector, who think dozens of candidates believe that dozens of candidates, in their procurement processes.

Rob Henley has recently hired to perform some remote jobs in his company, and believes 30 North Korean employees in the process. “Initially, it was partly like a game, trying to imagine what was genuine, and it was false, but it was quite annoying,” he said.

Eventually, he went to ask for candidates on video calls to show you day days.

“We were hired by candidates from the US for those positions. It should have at least one outdoor light. But I never saw the day.”

In March, Dawid Moczadło was the founder of Vidoc Security Lab based on the candidate, he shared a video of a remote work interview that he used to use artificial intelligence software. He said after talking to experts, he thought the candidate could be a North Korean computer worker.

We contacted the North Embassy in London to put allegations in this story. They didn’t answer.

North Korea has sent foreign workers to win foreign currency in decades. Maximum 100,000 workers are working abroad, most of China and Russia.

After a few years living in China, Jin-Su said the “Sense of Incommunication” on the oppressive working conditions built.

“We didn’t know to go away and I had to be inside,” he said. “You can’t exercise, you can’t do what you want.”

However, North Korean staff have more freedom to access Western media abroad, Jin-Su said. “You see the real world. We realize that when we are abroad something is wrong within North Korea”.

However, Jin-Seg said to escape as few North Korean workers thought.

“They take the money and return home, very few people would think about the defection.”

Although they only keep a small proportion of what they win, it is worth a lot in North Korea. The mistake is also very dangerous and difficult. Most care of China are caught. Few people who get mistakes may never see their families again, and their relatives can face the penalty.

Jin-Su is working now that he is now defended. The skill that worked for the regime has helped establish his new life.

As he does not work with false ID, he earns less than when he worked in the North Korean regime. But because his profits may have more, it has more money in your pocket.

“I used to make money by doing illegal things. But now I work hard and make the money I deserve.”