Seoul Training ASEAN Nations to Fight North Korean Crypto Hackers

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October 23, 2024

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The South Korean Foreign Ministry says it is training its ASEAN counterparts to fight back against North Korean crypto “theft.”

Per an official South Korean government report, the ministry wants to “transfer its capabilities” to experts from seven countries” in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

ASEAN Officials Training in Seoul

The ministry said it has already begun its sessions and will complete its training program on October 27.

Seoul and Washington have repeatedly accused Pyongyang of using government-trained hackers to steal Bitcoin (BTC) and other tokens from global crypto exchanges.

These claims have been backed up by major IT companies and blockchain analytics firms, who have pointed the finger at Pyongyang-linked organizations like Lazarus.

North Korean officials have denied these claims.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its ASEAN program would help nations “strengthen their capabilities” in “responding to cyber attacks, including the theft of virtual assets.”

Seoul said its officials have been working with the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) “to help ASEAN countries.”

The ministry noted that ASEAN crypto markets are “growing rapidly.” As such, it said, it was time these countries “strengthen their cyber defense capabilities and protect themselves from North Korea’s cyber threats.”

And it said it had already provided ASEAN officials with “online pre-training” sessions from September 30 to October 8.

The ministry said the program would help boost the cybersecurity at local crypto exchanges.

And it said that this would help them create “institutional measures to prevent money laundering using cryptoassets.”

The ministry said that ASEAN nations’ “financial and cryptoasset officials” and “government representatives” were in attendance.

“North Korea generates hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits annually through cyberattacks aimed at stealing cryptoassets.”

South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

North Korea Is Developing New Crypto-theft Strategies: Seoul

“ASEAN countries should pay special attention to North Korea’s illegal cyber activities to prepare for the fast evolution of cryptoasset theft and laundering.”

Lee Jun-il, Director of the Korean Peninsula Policy Bureau

The ministry said it plans to “seek multifaceted and effective countermeasures” against new “North Korean cyber threats.”

The development comes amid rising tension on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul has recently accused Pyongyang of sending troops to fight alongside the Russian military in Ukraine.

The ASEAN was founded in 1967 and currently comprises 10 member states, namely:

• Brunei
• Cambodia
• Indonesia
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam