Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

US charges North Korean hackers with stealing and extorting more than $1.3bn

US charges North Korean hackers with stealing and extorting more than $1.3bn

Kim Jong Un's regime "has become a criminal syndicate with a flag", the US assistant attorney general says.

The United States has charged three North Korean men with stealing and extorting more than $1.3bn (£940m) from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.

"North Korea's operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world's leading 21st century nation-state robbers," said John Demers, the US assistant attorney general.

"Simply put, the regime has become a criminal syndicate with a flag, which harnesses its state resources to steal hundreds of millions of dollars," he continued, while unveiling the previously sealed federal indictments.

The charges follow a confidential UN report circulated among Security Council members that is believed to have claimed that North Korea had continued to maintain and develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes through funding secured with cyber heists.

The three men: Jon Chang Hyok, 31; Kim Il, 27; and Park Jin Hyok, 36, are accused of working for North Korea's military intelligence services, specifically its Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB).

Park had previously been charged in 2018 for his involvement in hacking on behalf of the North Korean state, but the other two men's names are being made public for the first time.

The indictments against them contain detailed allegations of their involvement in cyber heists, including the attack on Sony Pictures in retaliation for its film The Interview, depicting a fictional assassination of the country's leader, Kim Jong Un.

The men are also accused of creating the WannaCry ransomware which hit the NHS in 2017, as well as the development of fake cryptocurrency applications with backdoors that allowed them to steal users' funds.

Pyongyang has denied involvement in all of these incidents.

"The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running, and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering," said Acting US Attorney Tracy Wilkison.

"The conduct detailed in the indictment are the acts of a criminal nation-state that has stopped at nothing to extract revenge and obtain money to prop up its regime."


"This case is a particularly striking example of the growing alliance between officials within some national governments and highly sophisticated cyber-criminals," added the US Secret Service assistant director Michael D'Ambrosio.

"The individuals indicted today committed a truly unprecedented range of financial and cyber crimes: from ransomware attacks and phishing campaigns, to digital bank heists and sophisticated money laundering operations.

"With victims strewn across the globe, this case shows yet again that the challenge of cybercrime is, and will continue to be, a struggle that can only be won through partnerships, perseverance, and a relentless focus on holding criminals accountable."

Alongside the three North Koreans a Canadian man, Ghaleb Alaumary, was charged with working as a money launderer for them "among other criminal schemes" that involved millions of dollars.

Comments

casual observer 4 year ago
And that makes stealing ok? Trumps "love buddy" gets a pass because you equate printing money to stealing it?
Oh ya 4 year ago
But it is ok for the US government to steal billions fromb every person that has US dollars buy printing trillions of more USD every year, because every dollar they print devalues the ones in your pocket. If printing more money was the answer Venezuela, Zimbabwe would be in great shape

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×