US sanctions North Korean firm, nationals behind IT worker schemes

The U.S. Treasury (OFAC) sanctioned Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three North Korean nationals — Kim Se Un, Jo Kyong Hun, and Myong Chol Min — for operating fraudulent IT worker schemes that placed skilled tech workers abroad using fake or stolen identities and funneled earnings and cryptocurrency proceeds to support DPRK nuclear and missile programs; the report notes asset freezes, prohibitions on U.S. transactions, related disruptions and indictments, and rewards for information leading to arrests or convictions.