A coalition of Western allies has issued a warning against employing IT workers from North Korea, accusing them of funding the country’s nuclear arsenal through illicit means.

In a joint statement released on Friday, July 31st, 2026, 19 government agencies across nine countries—including the United States, South Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom—cautioned that Pyongyang relies on IT operatives both inside North Korea and globally. These operatives obtain remote work under stolen identities on freelancing and hiring platforms, remitting their earnings directly to state agencies. The revenue generated is reportedly used to support North Korea’s prohibited nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

The statement highlighted the use of artificial intelligence to expand Pyongyang’s network of fraudulent remote IT workers. "North Korean IT workers employ increasingly sophisticated methods, including the integration of AI, to obfuscate their identities and expand their activities globally," the coalition said. It urged private sector hiring platforms and employers to significantly strengthen identity verification procedures.

Additionally, the advisory noted that North Korean operatives often depend on overseas facilitators in North Korea, China, Russia, and Southeast Asia to establish "laptop farms." These facilities house company-issued devices accessed remotely via VPNs by North Korean workers to conceal their true locations.

Pyongyang has been accused of using hard currency earned by these AI-assisted workers to power its armaments program.

Sources