The U.S. Department of State, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK), joined Mandiant to co-host a forum in Tokyo on August 26. The event brought together more than 130 participants from government agencies and industry partners, including freelance work platforms, payment service providers, cryptocurrency firms, AI industries, and other Web3 technology companies.
These sectors have increasingly become targets for North Korean actors seeking to generate revenue through illicit IT work schemes. The forum aimed to strengthen cooperation between public and private sectors to counter tactics used by North Korean IT workers.
According to U.S. authorities, "North Korean state-directed IT workers generate revenue for North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, violating U.S. sanctions and multiple UN Security Council resolutions." They warned that companies engaging with these workers could face theft of sensitive data and assets, reputational harm, legal consequences, and an increased risk of being targeted by malicious North Korean cyber actors.
"The United States remains committed to combatting North Korea’s sanctions violations and will continue to strengthen collaboration with Japan, the Republic of Korea, and our industry partners to address this threat," said representatives at the event.