Latest news with #MunitionsIndustryDepartment
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Unassuming Arizona woman helped Kim Jong-un fund North Korea's nuclear weapons
A woman duped more than 300 companies by stealing the identities of 68 US citizens and passed them on to North Korea - Christina Chapman raised millions for Kim Jong-un's country A woman has admitted to stealing the identities of 68 US citizens to pass them on to North Korea. Christina Chapman was jailed for eight and a half years after her elaborate scheme investigators called 'staggering'. The ruse saw Chapman stealing identities for foreign workers to pose as Americans and gain employment from October 2020 to 2023. From her home in Minnesota and Arizona, Chapman ran a 'laptop farm' using computers issued by US companies. Such was the scale of her operation, Chapman, 50, even employed two people to help her. In photos shared by prosecutors, rows of laptops were stacked on shelves with notes stuck to them which revealed the company and identity being used for each device. This gave the appearance of the North Korean workers being in the US. More than 300 separate companies were caught out by the scheme, with funds totalling over £12.5 million being generated which were sent back to North Korea and used for its nuclear weapons programme, officials said. A total of 309 companies were caught out, including Nike and other members of the Fortune 500 list. Officials have issued a stark warning to companies, advising them not to be duped by the scheme. US Attorney for Washington DC General Jeanine Pirro said North Korea is an 'enemy within' and is 'perpetrating fraud on American citizens, American companies, and American banks'. She added that North Korea used the cash it generated to 'to buy munitions to be used against us'. She continued: "The call is coming from inside the house. If this happened to these big banks, to these Fortune 500, brand name, quintessential American companies, it can or is happening at your company… You are the first line of defense against the North Korean threat.' The FBI, which aided the investigation, said North Korea has pocketed 'millions of dollars for its nuclear weapons program by victimizing American citizens, businesses, and financial institutions". It added: 'However, even an adversary as sophisticated as the North Korean government can't succeed without the assistance of willing US citizens like Christina Chapman.' Following her May 2024 arrest in Arizona, Chapman was handed a prison sentence of 102 months on Thursday after the 50-year-old pleaded guilty in February to aggravated identity theft, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Three North Koreans who were also charged had ties to the Munitions Industry Department in their home rogue state, the BBC reported. Chapman, whom prosecutors said insisted her work was "legitimate", pocketed the equivalent of over £131,000 for her part in the scheme. She was ordered to pay back, as well as around £211,000 that was profit destined for North Korea. Prosecutors said Chapman claims she did not know she was working with North Koreans. But this was disputed by officials, who revealed she sent 35 packages to the city of Dandong in China, which is on the border with North Korea. Packages were also sent to the UAE, Nigeria and Pakistan.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
US woman jailed for stealing identities to give North Koreans jobs
A US woman has been sent to prison for more than eight years over an elaborate scheme to steal the identities of American workers and pass them to North Koreans. Christina Chapman admitted to stealing the identities of 68 US citizens, then helping foreign workers use those identities to pose as Americans and gain employment at over 300 separate companies. Investigators say the "staggering" scheme used the stolen identities to generate $17m (£12.5m) in funds that were sent back to North Korea. Chapman claimed to be unaware that she was helping the North Koreans, officials Attorney for Washington DC General Jeanine Pirro warned companies to be alert for similar North Korean plots. Chapman, 50, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering conspiracy. On Thursday, she was handed a 102-month prison sentence. She was arrested in May 2024 in Arizona, and charged alongside three North Korean citizens. All three North Koreans have ties to the North Koreans Munitions Industry Department, according to the US State Department, which noted that the organisation handles ballistic missile and weapons production for North to US officials, the money raised was sent directly to the country's nuclear weapons programme. "North Korea is not just a threat to the homeland from afar. It is an enemy within. It is perpetrating fraud on American citizens, American companies, and American banks," Pirro said on Thursday. "It is a threat to Main Street in every sense of the word," she said, adding that North Korea used the funds "to buy munitions to be used against us". The plot orchestrated by Chapman duped 309 American companies, including several on the Fortune 500 list such as Nike, and two international firms. "The call is coming from inside the house. If this happened to these big banks, to these Fortune 500, brand name, quintessential American companies, it can or is happening at your company," Pirro continued. "You are the first line of defense against the North Korean threat." Chapman admitted to running "laptop farms" from her homes in Arizona and Minnesota, where she would log into computers issued by the companies so that it appeared the North Korean workers from other countries were physically in the would then help the workers remotely connect to the laptops, and also help them to receive their wages from the Arizona laptop farm "was operating at such a high volume" that she hired two people to help her, according to officials.A photo released of the operation shows how she stored the devices on shelves, with notes with identifying information of each company and the stolen identity associated with each claimed to not know that she was working with North Koreans, according to prosecutors, and "did not specifically attempt to raise revenue for the benefit of North Korea".But over an eight-month period, she sent 35 separate packages to Dandong, China - a city on the border with North Korea. Pirro said that she believes Chapman was well aware that she was helping the US addition to China, she also shipped company laptops to Pakistan, the UAE, and was paid $176,850 for the conspiracy, which began in October 2020 and ended in 2023. As part of her sentence, she was ordered to hand over the money, as well as over $284,000 in profits that were due to be paid to the North Koreans. Prosecutors had sought a tough sentence, partly due to her continuing insistence to investigators that her work was "legitimate"."Despite entering a guilty plea…. defendant does not seem to understand the full extent of her culpability in the criminal conspiracy," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. The investigation was aided by the FBI, which warned in a statement that North Korea has earned "millions of dollars for its nuclear weapons program by victimizing American citizens, businesses, and financial institutions"."However, even an adversary as sophisticated as the North Korean government can't succeed without the assistance of willing US citizens like Christina Chapman," said the FBI.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea claims to launch repaired warship on second try
June 13 (UPI) -- North Korea successfully launched a 5,000-ton destroyer that was damaged during its first launch attempt last month, state-run media reported Friday, with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance and vowing to build two more warships next year. The launch ceremony was held Thursday at the Rajin Shipyard, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. Kim witnessed the destroyer's botched launch on May 21, and called it a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated." He demanded that the warship be restored by the start of a ruling party congress in late June and warned of serious consequences for those found responsible for the launch mishap. At least four officials have been arrested so far, including vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department Ri Hyong Son, according to state media. The capsized ship, named the Kang Kon, was raised at Chongjin Shipyard last week and moved to the Rajin site on the northeastern tip of the country for repair. In remarks delivered at the ceremony Thursday, Kim said that the failed launch "impaired the dignity and prestige of the country," but claimed that it had not impeded the country's naval modernization goals. "No obstacle could delay the important course of bolstering up the naval combat power," Kim said, according to KCNA. "We safely raised and floated the ship in just two weeks after the accident, and today, we have concluded the complete restoration as planned," he claimed. It is unclear whether the ship has been fully repaired or when it will be ready for use. "The vessel has yet to undergo critical phases before it can be deemed operational," the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report Thursday. "It will require considerable time to complete fitting out, manufacturer's trials and navy acceptance trials before being committed to operations." The Kang Kon was the second warship introduced by North Korea in recent months, following the launch of its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer at the Nampo Shipyard on April 25. That vessel is armed with a wide range of weapons, including supersonic cruise missiles and strategic cruise missiles, according to North Korean reports. Photos released by the North showed that the Choe Hyon's missile and radar systems resemble those found on Russian vessels, prompting speculation that Pyongyang received technical assistance from Moscow in its development. North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to Russia to aid in Moscow's war against Ukraine, and is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs. In his remarks at the launch ceremony, Kim said the North "will continue to commission two destroyers of the same class or higher into the navy every year." He cited growing threats from the United States and its allies as a primary reason for the country's warship construction plans. "Recently, the provocative intentions of the United States and its military forces have become more and more hostile, and the level of threats to our safety has clearly gone far beyond dangerous limits," Kim said. "Having ocean-going operational capability and exercising naval power in the ocean is an essential choice to protect national sovereignty and security interests."
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The 4 North Korean officials arrested over a botched destroyer launch are in mortal danger
North Korea has arrested four officials in connection with a botched warship launch. State media reaction to the incident signals Kim Jong Un's fury at the disaster. Experts say the officials face severe — possibly fatal — consequences. Four officials detained after a North Korean destroyer was badly damaged on the day of its ceremonial launch into the water face potentially fatal consequences at the hands of Kim Jong Un, North Korean experts told Business Insider. "I would say there's a very good chance they'd be executed," Joseph S. Bermudez, an analyst in North Korean defense at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, said. One striking aspect was the speed at which state-controlled North Korean media publicized the incident that damaged its newest warship, and also named the officials. The highly public nature of the announcements suggests Kim is "very upset," Bermudez added. The arrests came within days of the botched launch of the nameless 5,000-ton destroyer, which saw the ship topple onto its side and its hull damaged. It's believed the mechanism that rolled the ship into the water malfunctioned, leaving the ship's bow stuck on the pier while its aft section lying in the water and flooded. State-run outlets announced the arrests, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the shipyard's chief engineer, the head of the hull construction workshop, and a deputy manager for administrative affairs. At the top of the list: Ri Hyong Son, a vice director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Korean Workers' Party Central Committee, who was also arrested. The warship was one of two next-generation Choe Hyon-class destroyers. The first, the titular Choe Hyon, launched a month ago to great fanfare at Nampo Harbor on the peninsula's western coast. However, the second was constructed at the eastern Chongjin Shipyard, which does not typically produce large warships, Bermudez told BI. Rather than launching it in drydock or from a slipway, North Korea attempted a sideways launch — something the workers may not have been well-practiced at with a larger vessel, he said. When it came to the bigger ship, "all of a sudden, you're starting to use a piece that hasn't been used in years," he said. As of Monday, satellite images showed that the bow of the ship still stuck on the pier, with evidence of a dredging operation at the harbor entrance. Following the launch, state media put the "responsible" officials on blast. This was a choice. "Normally these things are done quietly," Bermudez said. Within hours of the disaster, the Pyongyang Times reported Kim denouncing it at length, calling it a "criminal act" that "could not be tolerated." Multiple detailed updates to the recovery operation have followed. The Choe Hyon-class destroyer is a step towards a major ambition of Kim's: transforming North Korea's primarily coastal navy into a blue-water fleet, Bermudez said. A setback to that project is a "slap in the face" for Kim, he added. Although the full capabilities of the new ship are not yet known, its sister ship the Choe Hyon — the first in the class — wields modern capabilities like an air defence system and vertically launched missiles. State media has claimed it can carry nuclear-capable missiles — in which case, the program is "very much interlinked with North Korea's broader nuclear ambitions," according to Edward Howell, an expert on North Korean politics at the University of Oxford. "The fact that it failed so miserably was pretty embarrassing for Kim," who is "captivated" by developing naval power, Bruce Bennett, a North Korea-focused defense analyst at the RAND think tank, told BI. It's even more galling in the wake of large-scale South Korean naval drills in the Yellow Sea earlier this month — which showcased its naval power after the launch of the first Choe Hyon. And there was another reason to denounce the named officials: In terms of domestic politics, "it puts everybody on notice," Bermudez said. When big programs that really matter to Kim fail, "he's going to take retribution," he added. Although officials have now said the damage is not as bad as first assessed — something that BI could not independently verify — it's still going to be treated with utmost seriousness in order to "deal a telling blow to incautiousness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricist attitude prevailing in any field," state media declared. It's unclear exactly what will happen to the officials named. Various punishments are possible through the judicial system, but all too often, "'due process' is a bullet in the head," RAND's Bennett said. In January, North Korea executed two unnamed nuclear power plant construction researchers for failing to complete their project and improve technological standards, Daily NK reported. Their junior colleagues were transported to what is believed to be a political prison camp, the outlet reported. Regardless of what punishment is handed down, one thing is likely: it'll also hit the officials' families. In the logic of the North Korean justice system, convictions are "because of a significant family flaw," Bennett said. "Therefore three generations of the family need to be dealt with." That could mean the officials' spouses, parents, and even kids could be sent to grim prison camps — and could also be downgraded within the country's system of social hierarchy, Songbun. "We don't know what their fates will be," said Howell. "Their fates don't look to be very pleasant." "But crucially," he added, "this is going to make no impact on North Korea's broader quest for naval modernization, military modernization." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
The 4 North Korean officials arrested over a botched destroyer launch are in mortal danger
Four officials detained after a North Korean destroyer was badly damaged on the day of its ceremonial launch into the water face potentially fatal consequences at the hands of Kim Jong Un, North Korean experts told Business Insider. "I would say there's a very good chance they'd be executed," Joseph S. Bermudez, an analyst in North Korean defense at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, said. One striking aspect was the speed at which state-controlled North Korean media publicized the incident that damaged its newest warship, and also named the officials. The highly public nature of the announcements suggests Kim is "very upset," Bermudez added. How it all went wrong The arrests came within days of the botched launch of the nameless 5,000-ton destroyer, which saw the ship topple onto its side and its hull damaged. It's believed the mechanism that rolled the ship into the water malfunctioned, leaving the ship's bow stuck on the pier while its aft section lying in the water and flooded. State-run outlets announced the arrests, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the shipyard's chief engineer, the head of the hull construction workshop, and a deputy manager for administrative affairs. At the top of the list: Ri Hyong Son, a vice director of the Munitions Industry Department of the Korean Workers' Party Central Committee, who was also arrested. The warship was one of two next-generation Choe Hyon-class destroyers. The first, the titular Choe Hyon, launched a month ago to great fanfare at Nampo Harbor on the peninsula's western coast. However, the second was constructed at the eastern Chongjin Shipyard, which does not typically produce large warships, Bermudez told BI. Rather than launching it in drydock or from a slipway, North Korea attempted a sideways launch — something the workers may not have been well-practiced at with a larger vessel, he said. When it came to the bigger ship, "all of a sudden, you're starting to use a piece that hasn't been used in years," he said. As of Monday, satellite images showed that the bow of the ship still stuck on the pier, with evidence of a dredging operation at the harbor entrance. Why Kim is turning up the heat Following the launch, state media put the "responsible" officials on blast. This was a choice. "Normally these things are done quietly," Bermudez said. Within hours of the disaster, the Pyongyang Times reported Kim denouncing it at length, calling it a "criminal act" that "could not be tolerated." Multiple detailed updates to the recovery operation have followed. The Choe Hyon-class destroyer is a step towards a major ambition of Kim's: transforming North Korea's primarily coastal navy into a blue-water fleet, Bermudez said. A setback to that project is a "slap in the face" for Kim, he added. Although the full capabilities of the new ship are not yet known, its sister ship the Choe Hyon — the first in the class — wields modern capabilities like an air defence system and vertically launched missiles. State media has claimed it can carry nuclear-capable missiles — in which case, the program is "very much interlinked with North Korea's broader nuclear ambitions," according to Edward Howell, an expert on North Korean politics at the University of Oxford. "The fact that it failed so miserably was pretty embarrassing for Kim," who is "captivated" by developing naval power, Bruce Bennett, a North Korea-focused defense analyst at the RAND think tank, told BI. It's even more galling in the wake of large-scale South Korean naval drills in the Yellow Sea earlier this month — which showcased its naval power after the launch of the first Choe Hyon. And there was another reason to denounce the named officials: In terms of domestic politics, "it puts everybody on notice," Bermudez said. When big programs that really matter to Kim fail, "he's going to take retribution," he added. Although officials have now said the damage is not as bad as first assessed — something that BI could not independently verify — it's still going to be treated with utmost seriousness in order to "deal a telling blow to incautiousness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricist attitude prevailing in any field," state media declared. A generational punishment It's unclear exactly what will happen to the officials named. Various punishments are possible through the judicial system, but all too often, "'due process' is a bullet in the head," RAND's Bennett said. In January, North Korea executed two unnamed nuclear power plant construction researchers for failing to complete their project and improve technological standards, Daily NK reported. Their junior colleagues were transported to what is believed to be a political prison camp, the outlet reported. Regardless of what punishment is handed down, one thing is likely: it'll also hit the officials' families. In the logic of the North Korean justice system, convictions are "because of a significant family flaw," Bennett said. "Therefore three generations of the family need to be dealt with." That could mean the officials' spouses, parents, and even kids could be sent to grim prison camps — and could also be downgraded within the country's system of social hierarchy, Songbun. "We don't know what their fates will be," said Howell. "Their fates don't look to be very pleasant." "But crucially," he added, "this is going to make no impact on North Korea's broader quest for naval modernization, military modernization."
