North Korea has built a systematic cyber programme by recruiting talented children aged 11 or 12 and training them in advanced technology for state operations.
The FBI and cryptocurrency exchange Binance blamed North Korean group TraderTraitor for the $6.3-billion Binance hack last month, which involved malicious software and internal AI tools.
Successful hackers receive luxury apartments in Pyongyang measuring up to 132 square metres, foreign currency payments, and ruling party membership.