According to the Chosun Ilbo, about two-thirds of crypto hacking losses from January to June were linked to North Korean hacking organizations, amounting to around 1 trillion won in stolen assets in six months.

The groups combine exchange intrusions, fake-recruitment phishing and wallet theft, then launder funds through mixers to evade tracing. Concerns persist that the proceeds finance weapons programs.

Individual investors are targets too

Security firms warn of rising phishing links, fake airdrops and malicious apps aimed at personal wallets. Never storing seed phrases online and avoiding unverified links and apps remain the best defense.

Korea, the United States and partners are tightening sanctions and joint crackdowns on laundering networks, but borderless fund flows make a complete block difficult.

A Third Perspective

For Chinese communities in Korea, Taiwan and Southeast Asia active in crypto, this is not someone else's problem: security before yield is the practical lesson.