US Official: "North Korea's Illegal Cyber Activities Are Top Priority... 3 Trillion Won Stolen Last Year"

Fritz: "A Significant National Security Challenge"

A U.S. State Department official stated on January 12 (local time) that the amount of virtual assets stolen by North Korea last year reached approximately 3 trillion won, and that North Korea's illegal cyber activities have emerged as a top priority threat to the security of the United States and its allies.

Jonathan Fritz, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. State Department, defined North Korea's illegal cyber activities as "a top priority for the United States" during a briefing at the New York Foreign Press Center on the same day. He explained that this is because it involves protecting U.S. citizens and businesses facing significant national security challenges. The briefing was held ahead of a presentation to United Nations member states by the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on its report regarding North Korea's illegal cyber activities in violation of UN sanctions. The MSMT is a multinational monitoring organization established to oversee the implementation of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, with participation from 11 countries including the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

The MSMT report, released in October last year, stated that North Korea stole approximately $1.65 billion (about 2.4 trillion won) in virtual assets from January to September of last year. Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz said, "North Korean cyber actors and information technology (IT) workers continue their malicious activities. By the end of last year, I believe the annual amount stolen exceeded $2 billion (about 2.9 trillion won)." He pointed out that the money earned by North Korean IT workers, who gain employment by stealing identities, as well as the proceeds from virtual asset theft, are being used for the illegal development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. He added, "We cannot simply stand by as North Korea engages in sophisticated transnational criminal schemes to acquire U.S. dollars."

Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz also stated, "President Donald Trump has made it clear on several occasions that he is prepared to engage in dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un," adding that he believes a peaceful resolution is the best way to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In response to a question about whether there is ongoing communication between the United States and North Korea regarding a potential meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim, he said, "At this time, there is nothing further to add," and emphasized, "President Trump has clearly expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue, and the ball is in North Korea's court."

Regarding the statement issued by North Korea's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the same day, which claimed that the existence and activities of the MSMT are illegal, Deputy Assistant Secretary Fritz remarked, "The fact that North Korea read the MSMT's report and responded so strongly is a good sign." He also pointed out that it is important to note that North Korea did not claim the contents of the MSMT's report were inaccurate.