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Why North Korean IT Workers Want Your Tech Job

North Korean IT workers are landing US tech jobs by the thousands. Here is the evidence on who sends them and what the salaries fund.

By Devario Johnson Madison Ave Magazine  · Technology 17 min read
North Korean IT Workers | Madison Ave Magazine
Courtesy Derek Madison Media

They are not trying to hack you. They are trying to get hired by you. That distinction sits at the center of a very strange sanctions-evasion program. It also explains why so many companies never noticed. North Korean IT workers pass interviews, sign offer letters, enroll in benefits, and then do the actual job. Some do it well. Meanwhile the paycheck travels a long way from the payroll system that issued it.

Whether this happens is no longer in dispute. Governments settled that years ago. The real question is why a nuclear-armed state built a global staffing agency, and what the money does once it lands.

DEVARIO JOHNSON

Devario Johnson is the founder and creative lead of Madison Avenue Magazine and Derek Madison Media, where he shapes culture through editorial storytelling, original photography, and platform design. As a fashion editor, media entrepreneur, and senior technology leader, he blends style, innovation, and narrative across every venture. As a former world-class athlete, he brings the same discipline and vision to all his creative pursuits.