Japanese men accused of helping North Korean IT workers get fake IDs

Pyongyang said to use tech outsourcing to earn illicit cash

20250407N North Korea flag

The United Nations warns that North Korean engineers working outside the country earn as much as $600 million per year. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)

Nikkei staff writers

TOKYO -- Police in Tokyo suspect two Japanese men of helping North Korean IT engineers create fake identities to work remotely for Japanese companies, shedding light on an increasingly common method used by Pyongyang to earn foreign currency.

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