Key facts
- North Korean authorities have reportedly arrested a group of former state cyber operators and IT specialists.
- The group is accused of hacking the internal networks of North Korea's central bank and the Foreign Trade Bank.
- Stolen state funds were allegedly converted into cryptocurrency and laundered through China-based brokers.
- Daily NK reported the arrests, citing an anonymous source in Pyongyang.
North Korean authorities have reportedly arrested a group of former state cyber operators and IT specialists accused of hacking two state banks and laundering stolen funds through cryptocurrency, according to a report by South Korean outlet Daily NK. The group allegedly infiltrated the internal networks of North Korea’s central bank and the Foreign Trade Bank, converting stolen state funds into cryptocurrency before laundering them through China-based brokers. The report cited an anonymous source in Pyongyang. If confirmed, these arrests would represent a rare instance of North Korean cyber operators being accused of stealing from their own government’s financial institutions. Pyongyang is widely accused of directing state-backed hacking groups to steal from crypto companies to generate revenue and circumvent international sanctions. Daily NK is a Seoul-based news outlet that relies on sources within North Korea, though information from the country is difficult to verify independently due to access restrictions.