[Wu Blockchain News] Highlight Clip: Laura Shin Goes Undercover in Crypto Hiring: Suspected North Korean Developer's Call Drops After Kim Jong Un Question
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Laura Shin, founder and CEO of Unchained, posed as recruiter "Sophie Wang" on August 14 to interview a suspected North Korean developer applying to Oomp-Labs, after security researchers linked his GitHub profile, work history and wallet transactions to North Korea-related activity. When asked mid-interview to say something negative about Kim Jong Un, the developer hesitated and the call dropped; nine minutes later he blamed an unstable connection and proposed moving to Discord or Telegram. Asked again on Telegram, he replied "I don't know much," noted he had never faced such a request in other interviews, and did not answer directly. The episode underscores the difficulty crypto firms face in verifying remote developer identities as North Korean IT workers increasingly infiltrate the industry. Shin urged crypto companies to tighten applicant screening, and the anecdote is likely to fuel calls for more rigorous background checks and reference verification in crypto hiring.
Muhabbit's AI wrote this summary in its own words from Telegram's report. It can get details wrong, so check the source.
Named in this story
Laura Shin, North Korea, Oomp-Labs, Kim Jong Un, Unchained