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In a unified effort, the Departments of State, Justice, and the Treasury have announced a comprehensive initiative to disrupt North Korea’s transnational criminal enterprises, which include activities such as cryptocurrency theft, fraudulent IT work, counterfeit trafficking, and oil smuggling. These operations, often targeting American companies and citizens, directly fund North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, both of which violate U.S. and UN sanctions.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) is offering rewards of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Sim Hyon-Sop and six North Korean co-conspirators implicated in tobacco trade and illicit IT schemes designed to access U.S. currency. Specific reward allocations include:
- Up to $7 million for Sim Hyon-Sop
- Up to $3 million for Myong Chol-Min and Kim Se-Un
- Up to $500,000 each for Kim Yong-Bok, Kim Chol-Min (“Jack”), Ri Tong-Min (“Elvis”), and Ri Won-Ho
The U.S. Treasury has designated Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three individuals—Kim Se-Un, Myong Chol-Min, and Jo Kyong-Hun—for their roles in dispatching IT workers abroad, particularly to Vietnam, Russia, and China, to conduct fraudulent remote work targeting over 300 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 firms.
Additionally, Christina Marie Chapman, a U.S. citizen, is being sentenced in Washington, D.C. for her involvement in one such IT worker scheme. These operations provide North Korea access to technology, illicit finance, and logistical support, sustaining sanctioned entities such as the Munitions Industry Department and Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry.
The Department of State is actively engaging international partners to curb these networks and prevent further exploitation of U.S. businesses. Complementing TOCRP, the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program maintains a $5 million reward for information that disrupts North Korea’s financial and cyber infrastructure supporting its WMD initiatives.
Tip submissions are confidential and can be made via +1-480-695-1388 (phone/text/WhatsApp), at local FBI offices, or U.S. embassies worldwide.
“The U.S. will not stand by while North Korea finances destabilizing threats through criminal enterprise,” said a senior State Department official.
These measures underscore the U.S. government’s intensified efforts to safeguard national security and enforce global non-proliferation standards.
