U.S. Sanctions North Korean Hacker Over IT Worker Scheme
Jul 9
2 min read
News Summary
The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned North Korean cyber actor Song Kum-hyok for facilitating a scheme where North Korean IT workers, using false identities, secretly generated revenue for the Kim regime.
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender said the sanctions highlight the need for vigilance against North Korea’s covert funding of its WMD and missile programs.
It also reaffirms that the U.S. Treasury will use all available tools to disrupt the regime’s digital asset theft, impersonation schemes, and cyber-attacks.
Commentary
This action reveals not only the Trump administration's determination to block the Kim regime’s illicit revenue streams—used to fund its missile and WMD programs—but also its broader policy direction toward North Korea.
Despite President Trump's personal rhetoric about his "friendship" with Kim Jong Un, the administration’s core approach has remained consistent: maintaining maximum pressure through sanctions and pursuing the goal of CVID (complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization) on the Korean Peninsula.
Trump’s gestures toward dialogue should not be mistaken for softness toward the Kim regime; in fact, his administration has implemented a tougher, more uncompromising policy against North Korea than any of his predecessors.
We must look beyond Trump’s words and focus on the policy itself. Trump and his team are well aware that Kim Jong Un will never give up his nuclear weapons—and they are determined not to allow him to advance his arsenal, recognizing the threat it poses not only to the Korean Peninsula but to U.S. national security interests worldwide.
Indeed, Trump and his team may already be thinking beyond the current regime—toward rebuilding a post-Kim North Korea. As a lifelong builder, Trump may ultimately pursue a long-term vision: to lay the foundation for North Korea’s reconstruction and reintegration, should the opportunity arise.
