Tennessee Man Charged for Aiding North Korean IT Workers in Weapon Funding

The U.S. Justice Department charged Tennessee resident Matthew Isaac Knoot for helping North Korean workers secure IT jobs with unsuspecting American and British companies to finance Pyongyang's weapons programs. Knoot, 38, allegedly facilitated remote access to software for North Korean workers. He faces charges including conspiracy to commit computer fraud and money laundering.

The U.S. Justice Department has revealed charges against Matthew Isaac Knoot, a Tennessee man accused of aiding North Korean workers in securing IT jobs with U.S. and UK companies to fund North Korea's weapons initiatives. The indictment against Knoot, 38, was unsealed in a federal court in Nashville.

According to DOJ officials, Knoot enabled North Korean workers to remotely access software from American companies that were unaware they were hiring workers from the DPRK, instead believing they were onboarding domestic employees. Matthew Olsen, head of the DOJ's National Security Division, highlighted this case as a significant warning for U.S. businesses employing remote IT workers.

Knoot is facing multiple charges such as conspiracy to commit computer fraud and money laundering, although he has yet to enter a plea. Representative for Knoot has not been identified. The U.S., alongside South Korea and the UN, has reported that North Korea has deployed thousands of IT workers abroad to generate millions for its nuclear missile program.

(With inputs from agencies.)