U.S. warns North Korea's cyber operations threaten allies

The U.S. State Department said on Jan. 12 that North Korea stole virtual assets worth $2 billion last year, with these illicit cyber activities emerging as a top security threat to the United States and its allies. Jonathan Fritz, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, warned, “North Korean cyber actors and IT personnel continue to engage in malicious activities. We will not stand by while North Korea engages in transnational crime targeting U.S. companies, citizens, and the populations of our allies.”

The State Department held a briefing at the Foreign Press Center in New York on North Korea’s cybercrime, detected by the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team. The MSMT is a monitoring body established by 11 countries, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan, to oversee compliance with United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

According to the MSMT, North Korea is estimated to have siphoned about $2.8 billion in virtual assets from January 2024 through September 2025. The country has relied on these virtual asset thefts as a major source of foreign currency revenue and has used the proceeds to fund its nuclear and missile development programs.

Regarding the possibility of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, Fritz said, “President Donald Trump has clearly expressed his willingness to engage, and the ball is now in North Korea’s court.” He added that he believes a peaceful resolution is the best way to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.


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