North Korean IT Personnel Arrested for Suspected Theft of Chinese Military Secrets, Pyongyang Urgently Recalls Staff

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees a test-fire for a new 600mm multiple rocket launcher at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, September 13, 2024.

[People News] North Korea has frequently been accused of stealing technology from other nations, and it appears to have recently targeted one of its few allies, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Korean Central News Agency reports that a North Korean information technology (IT) technician has been arrested by the CCP's public security for allegedly stealing military technology. Following this incident, the authorities in Pyongyang have urgently recalled all IT personnel operating in the same area.

The report cites sources from North Korea indicating that the arrested individual was affiliated with an organisation under the North Korean Workers' Party's Ministry of National Defence Industry. He, along with other IT personnel, had been dispatched to Shenyang, Liaoning, China. Last month, he went missing after fleeing a local dormitory with a laptop and was later arrested and detained by the CCP's public security. Investigators discovered multiple military secrets, including information on Chinese weapons, on his laptop, and the individual has confessed to the crime.

Concerns About Further Exposure of Operations

Sources suggest that upon learning of the incident, the Pyongyang authorities may have been concerned about the potential exposure of their operations to steal Chinese secrets, leading them to urgently recall all IT-related personnel in the same location.

The CCP's public security has not revealed the specific types of technology that were stolen. However, defectors familiar with the activities of North Korean technicians in China have noted that the North Korean Ministry of National Defence Industry has recently been gathering intelligence on weapon development. They are reportedly focused on developing small drones and drone operating systems, leveraging experiences gained from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Thus, it is speculated that the technology intelligence North Korea sought to steal may be related to drones.

The North Korean Ministry of National Defence Industry is responsible for formulating policies related to the military supply industry, including the development of nuclear weapons and missile programs, which have been placed under sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. Investigations by South Korean and U.S. authorities reveal that there are IT organisations under both the North Korean intelligence agency and the Ministry of National Defence that focus on generating foreign currency through cyberattacks and stealing military technology. North Korean personnel sent to China and Southeast Asia frequently execute missions by creating false identities online. Additionally, the General Bureau 313, which was sanctioned by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of last year, is also part of the North Korean Ministry of National Defence Industry.

(Source: Radio Free Asia)