←back to thread

145 points cwwc | 1 comments | | HN request time: 2.656s | source
Show context
throwaway_ab ◴[] No.43618350[source]
A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric.

That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea.

There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people.

The vast majority of North Koreans outside North Korea are not defectors, instead they are controlled state assets. There are no North Korean people outside the country that are free citizens. Every single North Korean authorised to leave the country is working directly for their government often to raise money for the regime, to steal IP, to infiltrate for some nefarious purpose.

Having one of these North Korean active assets in your company is extremely dangerous, your business is now at risk of leaks, theft, or worst something being modified like added vulnerabilities that could be exploited later in cyber attacks.

So no, this article is not racist at all and really has nothing to do with the recent political situation.

replies(8): >>43618407 #>>43618479 #>>43618767 #>>43618812 #>>43618892 #>>43618908 #>>43618920 #>>43619050 #
plsbenice34 ◴[] No.43618479[source]
What about Australia in comparison? Australians can be legally compelled in secret courts to install backdoors in the companies in which they are employed, and gagged from telling the company itself or any journalists (see the Access and Assistance Bill). That doesn't cross the same 'agents of the state' line?
replies(9): >>43618499 #>>43618500 #>>43618504 #>>43618769 #>>43618819 #>>43618950 #>>43619582 #>>43621438 #>>43621557 #
1. simonh ◴[] No.43621438[source]
Anyone from any country could be a state asset. That's all entirely hypothetical though. Maybe the universe is all a simulation! There's no limit to where you can go with hypotheticals.

The article, and linked sources, cite evidence from 6 named private citizens, each that have personal experience of multiple cases of exposing actual North Korean infiltrators posing as citizens of other countries to try and get tech jobs. Including one guy who infiltrated such a team of North Koreans. Then there are two successful convictions in court of US citizens aiding and abetting active cells of infiltrators.

So, these are not at all hypothetical and they're not just unsubstantiated claims by US agencies. In fact this issue is also reported by the United Nations.