According to TechFlow, on December 26, The Block reported that the South Korean government imposed sanctions on 15 North Korean individuals and an entity for illegal cyber activities, including cryptocurrency theft. According to Chainalysis data, North Korean hackers stole $1.34 billion worth of cryptocurrency in 2024, accounting for 61% of the total amount stolen that year.
The targets are all members of the 313th Bureau under the Machinery Industry Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, which has been sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council since 2016 and is responsible for North Korea's weapons production, including ballistic missile programs. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that North Korean IT personnel often disguise their identities and travel to China, Russia, Southeast Asia and Africa to obtain work orders from global IT companies, while engaging in information theft and cyber attacks.