US Offers Up to $15 Million for Information on Three North Korean Officials Linked to IT Schemes

The United States government launched coordinated enforcement actions Friday targeting North Korean revenue generation schemes, offering substantial rewards for information leading to the arrest of key officials involved in illicit activities.

The comprehensive operation involves the Departments of State, Justice, and Treasury working together to combat North Korea’s criminal enterprises that fund its weapons programs.

The State Department’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program announced rewards totaling up to $15 million for information leading to arrests and convictions of North Korean national Sim Hyon-sop and six co-conspirators.

The reward structure includes up to $7 million for Sim Hyon-sop, up to $3 million each for Myong Chol-Min and Kim Se-Un, and up to $500,000 each for Kim Yong-Bok, Kim Chol-Min (alias “Jack”), Ri Tong-Min (alias “Elvis”), and Ri Won-Ho.

These individuals face charges for their involvement in illicit tobacco trading schemes designed to generate U.S. dollar revenue for North Korea.

The criminal activities directly violate UN and U.S. sanctions while providing funding for North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, which authorities say pose direct threats to American security and have been unlawfully transferred to Russia for use against Ukrainian territory.

IT Worker Fraud Networks

Beyond tobacco smuggling, several conspirators, including Sim Hyon-sop and Kim Se-Un, orchestrated sophisticated IT worker schemes targeting American businesses.

North Korea deploys thousands of IT workers internationally, primarily operating from Russia and China, to conduct fraudulent remote work arrangements with U.S. companies seeking to exploit high American salaries.

The Treasury Department simultaneously designated Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company, which previously deployed IT workers to Vietnam, along with three North Korean nationals: Kim Se Un, Myong Chol Min, and Jo Kyong Hun.

These overseas networks provide North Korea with critical access to technology, illicit finance networks, and facilitators supporting revenue generation for sanctioned entities including the Munitions Industry Department and Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry.

According to Report, North Korean IT workers specifically target remote positions with American companies due to competitive salaries.

American Accomplice Sentenced

The enforcement actions coincide with the sentencing of Christina Marie Chapman, an American citizen convicted for her role in a North Korean IT worker scheme that defrauded over 300 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 corporations.

Chapman’s case demonstrates how North Korean operatives recruit American accomplices to facilitate their criminal enterprises.

The State Department emphasized its ongoing diplomatic efforts with foreign governments that host North Korean IT workers, working to prevent further targeting of American businesses and citizens.

Officials stress that North Korea’s revenue generation schemes encompass cryptocurrency theft, counterfeit goods trafficking, oil smuggling, and various transnational criminal activities.

Individuals with information regarding these schemes can contact the FBI via phone, text, or WhatsApp at +1-480-695-1388, visit U.S. embassies or consulates abroad, or contact local FBI field offices domestically.

The government guarantees strict confidentiality for all tipsters, though government employees are ineligible for rewards when providing information during official duties.

The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program maintains a separate $5 million standing reward for information disrupting North Korean financial mechanisms supporting government operations and sanctions evasion.

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