According to a report by the Associated Press, North Korean cybercriminals have allegedly stolen huge amounts of cryptocurrency totaling 1.5 trillion won (about $1.2 billion) during the past five years.
Hackers from North Korea took 800 billion won ($625 million) this year alone, or about half of the total amount. Over the aforementioned time frame, it was believed that 100 billion (or $78 million) had been stolen from South Korean organizations.
According to some reports, North Korea may be employing cybercrime to secure a crucial source of revenue for its precarious economy and nuclear program.
The totalitarian dictatorship has been hit twice by severe U.N. penalties and challenges brought on by the epidemic.
The theft of $620 million worth of bitcoin from the computer game Axie Infinity, which is thought to be one of the greatest cryptocurrency heists ever documented, was connected by the U.S. authorities to North Korean hackers in April.
