The assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) three weeks ago, has sparked interest in Pyongyang’s intelligence operations in Malaysia.
A source told Bernama that the presence of the North Koreans working in various fields in the country was planned in order to form an organised intelligence network.
It may not be difficult then to understand why a number of North Koreans are working as information technology (IT) specialists and masquerading behind local companies in Cyberjaya – to help them to gather information and data internally.
“These are not ordinary people because they are specially trained before being selected by the regime to work abroad.
“While being sponsored by local companies, their presence in Malaysia is not just to work but also (to function) as trained spies,” the source said recently.
These people are part of approximately 100,000 North Koreans working worldwide, and have become valuable “resources” to the regime as they are also sending their hard-earned money back home.
In fact, it is said that every member of a North Korean family abroad is required to report themselves at their embassies on a monthly basis. They will also be forced to undergo “debriefing” before they return to society.
It is also learnt that in addition to IT, the North Koreans are active in iron ore mining in Sarawak and as partners to Malaysian businessmen.
“They are trying to export Malaysian products to North Korea and vice versa, even though they know many quarters are aware of the restrictions imposed by the United Nations (UN) on their country,” said the source.
The source also said it was now a practice for employers to pay the salaries of the North Koreans directly to their embassy here, while the employees receive only living allowance.
“The embassy usually takes the money out of Malaysia in the form of cash because they cannot make online transactions due to the restrictions by the UN on Pyongyang.
“They will carry bags containing money and get cleared by the airport security while using their diplomatic privileges,” said the source.
Now, the question is why many North Koreans work in the IT sector. How did the republic manage to produce so many IT experts?
The source said the answers could be found on Hackread, a Milan-based online news portal.
The portal said that an IT unit, known as Bureau 121, which was set up by the regime, comprised an elite group of well-trained hackers who performed the duties of cyber espionage and cyber crime.
Bernama checks found a series of interviews between the news portal and professor Kim Heung Kwang, a North Korean who managed to escape to South Korea in 2004.
In the interview, Heung Kwang said he had taught Computer Science in the republic to the elite group of hackers for 20 years.
The academic also said only those who worked for Bureau 121 were allowed access to the internet or permitted to leave the country.
However, the source said the active intelligence agents could not escape from being monitored by the Malaysian authorities.
“All the intelligence services in the region are aware of this and their covert operations are being intensified round the clock to monitor the activities by North Korea.”