Joint updates with South Korea

www.ic3.gov • August 14, 2026

The United States (U.S.) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are updating warnings and guidance to the international community, the private sector, and the public to better understand and guard against the inadvertent recruitment, hiring, and facilitation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, a.k.a. North Korea) information technology (IT) workers. In 2022, the U.S. and ROK Government issued public advisories to provide detailed information on how DPRK IT workers operate, and identified red flag indicators and due diligence measures to help companies avoid hiring DPRK freelance developers and to help freelance and digital payment platforms identify DPRK IT workers abusing their services.

This update identifies new tradecraft used by DPRK IT workers since the release of the 2022 advisories, including new indicators of potential DPRK IT worker activity and additional due diligence measures the international community, private sector, and public can take to prevent the hiring of DPRK IT workers. The hiring or supporting of DPRK IT workers continues to pose many risks, ranging from theft of intellectual property, data, and funds, to reputational harm and legal consequences, including sanctions under U.S., ROK, and United Nations (UN) authorities.

The FBI urges victims of DPRK IT Workers, or those who suspect they may have been victimized, to report the suspicious activity to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov .

The ROK government requests suspicious activity be reported to the National Intelligence Service ( , 111) and the National Police Agency ( ecrm.police.go.kr , 112).

The original advisory, titled "Guidance on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Information Technology Workers," can be found here .

The original advisory issued by the ROK government can be found in English here and in Korean here .

For additional information from the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, please also see "North Korean Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Revenue Generation," found here .

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

U.S. and ROK Warn Against Hiring North Korean IT Workers The U.S. and Republic of Korea have issued updated advisories regarding the risks associated with hiring information technology workers from North Korea (DPRK). These advisories highlight that DPRK IT workers may pose as non-DPRK nationals to gain employment, leading to potential theft of intellectual property, data, and funds. Companies are urged to recognize red flags and implement due diligence measures to avoid inadvertently hiring these workers. The advisories include new indicators of DPRK IT worker activity and emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activities to authorities. The ongoing recruitment efforts by DPRK IT workers continue to threaten organizations globally, with significant implications for cybersecurity and compliance with international sanctions. 2 sources 63

Extracted Entities

Countries (4)

Democratic People's Republic Of Korea North Korea Republic Of Korea United States

Domains (2)

ecrm.police.go.kr ic3.gov