Reuters: North Korea Builds Systematic Hacker Training System; Military Cyber Units Can Receive Up to 30% of Attack Proceeds

深潮 TechFlow reports, Nov. 6, according to Reuters, North Korea has built a hacker corps through a state-sponsored talent development program, selecting approximately 150 to 200 students from secondary schools each year to receive computer education, with some eventually entering military cyber units. The report says outstanding hackers can receive benefits such as housing in Pyongyang and foreign-currency rewards, while relevant military cyber units can receive up to 30% of attack proceeds.

In addition, the report noted that North Korean cyber personnel widely use AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude Code to assist with programming and identity spoofing. South Korea's intelligence agency previously estimated that the number of North Korean cyber warfare personnel is about 8400.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Binance attributed the earlier Binance hack involving USD 6.3 billion to North Korea, which denied the allegations.

Source: 深潮 TechFlow