Cybersecurity engineer Toufik Airane was approached by a North Korean hacker who offered him a small fortune in exchange for use his of his identity—and he has the screenshots to prove it. Airane revealed to RFA Korean’s Jaewoo Park that after interacting with mysterious figures online, he found himself in a videocall with an East Asian man going by the name “Benjamin,” who promised him big bucks. The deal? “Benjamin,” would pose as Airane in remote job interviews and once hired, the two would split the job’s salary. Screenshots of…
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Photos: North Korea shows off new intercontinental missile at military parade
Nuclear-armed North Korea displayed its most advanced Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, described by the North Korean government as the country’s “strongest nuclear strategic weapon system,” state media said on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the large military parade displaying its new intercontinental ballistic missile in front of visiting international dignitaries. A military parade celebrates the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this image released October 11, 2025 by the North Korean government.(KCNA via Reuters) The parade,…
North Korean soldiers who fought with Russian troops against Ukraine celebrated
RFA Perspectives — North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian troops against Ukraine marched through Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, carrying the flags of Russia and North Korea as part of the Workers’ Party 80th Anniversary celebrations. Video: North Korea soldiers who fought alongside Russia celebrated at Workers’ Party anniversaryThe soldiers marched to the Russian patriotic song “To Serve Russia,” a rare and symbolic display of solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow. According to estimates, around 2,000 North Korean soldiers were killed while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. And reports…
‘This is fake’ — How North Korea uses AI and deepfakes as a weapon
RFA Perspectives — Deepfake and AI videos are created from tools anyone can download. North Korean hackers are already using the same tools as a weapon. Video: ‘This is fake’ How North Korea is weaponizing AI and deepfake technologyRecently, South Korea’s cybersecurity firm Genians revealed that a North Korean hacking group used AI-generated deepfake military IDs to impersonate defense agencies and launch phishing attacks. Their targets? Officials, journalists, human-rights activists, and researchers. This isn’t new. North Korean IT workers have long used AI and deepfakes to build fake identities—sometimes even…
Kim open to talks if U.S. drops denuclearization demand
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is open to talks with the United States, but only if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons program. Kim made the remarks during a recent session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported Monday. He said he has “good memories” of President Trump from their previous summits and would consider talking if the United States changes its stance. The statement marked Kim’s first public response to Trump’s recent overtures and underscored the gulf between…
Analysis: Kim Jong Un’s daughter steps into ‘successor spotlight’
RFA Perspectives — North Korea’s Kim Jong-un recently visited Beijing with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. South Korea’s intelligence agency suggests she may be stepping into the “successor spotlight.” Video: Kim Jong Un’s daughter could be North Korea successorMany expected Kim Ju Ae to appear at Beijing’s iconic sites, similar to how Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s son, Nikolai, appeared at China’s Tiananmen military parade 10 years ago. But that didn’t happen. During Kim Jong-un’s 54-hour stay, Kim Ju Ae was never seen at official events. According to the South Korean…
North Koreans have grown more repressed, fearful in the past decade, U.N. report says
North Korea is the most restrictive country in the world, with the government tightening control over its citizens, intensifying surveillance and unleashing torrents of propaganda, according to a sweeping United Nations report released on Friday. The 14-page report, published by the U.N.’s Human Rights Office, covers developments in the country since 2014 and draws detail from interviews with more than 300 witnesses and victims who had left the country. Interviewees said that government control had seeped into “all parts of life,” the report said. “To block the people’s eyes and…
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un arrives in Beijing for military parade
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, ahead of a massive Chinese military parade on Wednesday that will celebrate 80 years since the Japanese defeat that ended World War II. Kim and his daughter Kim Ju Ae arrived at around 4 p.m. on a green train bedecked with North Korean flags. They were met at the Beijing train station by Cai Qui, China’s fifth-highest ranked official, and foreign minister Wang Yi. It’s the North Korean leader’s second reported trip abroad in six years, and his first…
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to attend military parade in China
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend an expansive military parade in China next week — the first event to bring him together with a clutch of world leaders since he assumed office in 2011. Video: Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to meet in BeijingChinese President Xi Jinping extended Kim’s invitation to the event, which marks 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War II, North Korean state media reported Thursday. Kim will be among 26 foreign leaders who are expected to attend, including Russian President…
North Korea’s Kim, Putin vow cooperation in phone call
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to deepen their countries’ collaboration, North Korean state media said Wednesday, as Putin praised the “bravery, heroism, and self-sacrificing spirit” of North Korean troops who fought with the Russian military against Ukraine in the Kursk border region. On a telephone call on Tuesday with the Russian president, Kim said that North Korea would “fully support all measures to be taken by the Russian leadership in the future, too.” According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Putin shared with Kim…