From Dog Feces to Cyberattacks: North Korea’s Escalating Threats
North Korea’s specialized war industry, growing under dictator Kim Jong-un’s leadership, poses increasing threats to global peace. These threats range from rudimentary acts like launching trash-filled balloons to sophisticated cyberattacks jeopardizing commercial flights.
A History of Aggressive Actions
In 2014, Sony Pictures experienced North Korea’s warfare industry firsthand. The film “The Interview,” directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, depicted two journalists intending to assassinate Kim Jong-un. The regime threatened Sony, leading to a massive data breach affecting financial records and executive emails.
GPS Interference and Commercial Disruptions
In May and November of the previous year, North Korea disrupted GPS signals, endangering commercial ships and flights with poor visibility routes. This interference involves emitting unknown signals that saturate receivers, rendering them useless for navigation.
- Between May 29 and June 2, over 500 aircraft and hundreds of ships experienced GPS issues, according to the South Korean government.
- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) warned North Korea to cease the operation, as it posed a significant risk to international aviation.
The Cuban Doctors Model: Parallels with North Korean Workers
In February last year, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio announced sanctions against officials hiring Cuban doctors due to their exploitation by the Cuban regime. Similarly, North Korean workers face exploitation despite UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting member states from accepting them.
- North Korean workers are dispatched abroad by Kim Jong-un to earn money for the regime, working in various sectors such as restaurants, factories, and marine product processing in China.
- In Russia, they work in forestry, factories, and as soldiers in the war against Ukraine. In the Middle East, they engage in construction projects.
- A 2024 UN report estimates over 100,000 North Koreans working abroad, generating more than $500 million annually for Kim Jong-un’s regime.
- The Environmental Justice Foundation reported in February this year about the harsh conditions North Korean workers face aboard Chinese fishing vessels, likening it to prison-like conditions.
Long-Range Missiles: A Belligerent Diplomacy
Under Kim Jong-un’s rule, North Korea’s diplomacy is aggressive. Upon Donald Trump’s return to the White House, North Korea launched missiles as a welcoming gesture. With only the Trump administration’s first term as context, South Korea understandably feels fear and distrust, as transferring power, trust, and normalizing dictatorship is detrimental.
There have been no clear signals from Washington, as the Ukraine war and Gaza humanitarian crisis have kept the White House’s agenda occupied away from the Korean issue.
The concern lies in synchronized voting by the US, North Korea, and other nations at the UN, a precedent never seen before.
