North Korea allegedly operates a systematic state-sponsored hacker program

Reports indicate that the North Korean government maintains a specialized cyber force composed of individuals selected at a young age for intensive computer engineering training. According to information from defectors and analysts, the Kim Jong Un administration identifies the most intelligent middle school students, aged 11 to 12, to undergo a systematic education program lasting over a decade.

Successful participants are reportedly trained in cryptocurrency protocols and reverse engineering of foreign hardware, while others are tasked with remote software work for Western firms. These hackers are allegedly rewarded with significant privileges, including high foreign currency earnings, luxury apartments in Pyongyang, and the ability to travel to allied nations like China.

This cyber unit, which gained elevated status after 2013, is linked by the FBI, Binance, and blockchain research firms to major thefts, including a multi-billion dollar attack on the Binance exchange. While North Korea has denied these allegations, calling them political provocations, former trainers describe the program as a "secret weapon" designed to provide the regime with critical strategic and financial capabilities.