American federal authorities have escalated their global hunt for Park Jin Hyok, a computer programmer allegedly tied to some of the most destructive and financially ruinous cyberattacks in modern history.
According to an updated wanted poster released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Park is an alleged state-sponsored hacker operating on behalf of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Investigators believe he works within a specialized unit under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, collaborating with high-profile hacking collectives widely identified by private cybersecurity firms as the “Lazarus Group” and “APT38”.
“Park Jin Hyok is allegedly a state-sponsored North Korean computer programmer who is part of an alleged criminal conspiracy responsible for some of the costliest computer intrusions in history,” the FBI stated in an official caution notice. “These intrusions caused damage to computer systems of, and stole currency and virtual currency from, numerous victims.”
Court documents reveal a long-standing legal campaign against the suspect.
On December 8, 2020, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Park in the United States District Court, Central District of California.
The warrant followed charges including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, alongside one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud. This action reinforced an earlier federal warrant issued in June 2018 following an initial criminal complaint.
Law enforcement descriptions identify Park as an Asian male with black hair and brown eyes, fluent in English, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese. Known to use multiple aliases including Jin Hyuk Park, Pak Jin Hek, and Pak Kwang Jin, he has reported birth years of both 1984 and 1989. While last known to be residing in North Korea, intelligence records indicate he has previously traveled into neighboring China.
The investigation, coordinated primarily through the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, remains active. International authorities continue to urge anyone with relevant information regarding Park’s whereabouts to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
