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158. North Korea's Cyberwar

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CHAPTER

Why Don't You Defect From North Gareer?

Hackers in north Korea have seen the rest of the world. But why don't they defect? There are multiple answers to that, including family issues. And if you do a good job as a hacker overseas for the north carean government, when you go back home,. you'llbe fated as a bit of a hero. It's almost impossible for us to put ourselves in that position. I belong to country that's inculcated in people from birth. In north ris it's quis things, quite hard to get out from under, that, sir. That probably sounds pretty tempting.

00:00
Speaker 2
Em, it may be em. I don't know, a bit of naive western a thing to say, but it does make me wonder why there haven't been any, like, real hackers comein ow. Because you would think, if they do have access to thean air, ok, sure, i'm sure they've a nice life in north korea, but you would think some of them hang on, you know, they've seen the rest of the world. I get it, you know, north crer often hangs on to their families and that sort of thing. But e do you think ther's something else to it? You think maybe they're just died in the wool, you know, a brain washed or whatever, supporters, or they're, they're kind of at the mercy of the state.
Speaker 1
It's really good one er, you write, of all the people in north qoinsa sopiety, would ave thought the hackers might want to defect, and be able to defect. Bcause they've seen what the outside world looks like. They've got into net connection, which most people north gareer don't. They travel abroad. They can see what the forn world looks like, the outside world looks like. They must know that the stuff north gareer says is nonsense. So you writ thit's a big quqestion. Why don't they? Why don't thy defect? Em th, some multiple answers to that, one of which youe picked upon already, which is, often the family are still at home in north gareer. And if you defect from north gareer, your family's lives are made very, very difficult, indeed, a and that can stretch all the way from regular shake downs from the police to being put in a prison where they then die. You know, the consequences for your family an loved ones are potentially very serious. Secondly, if you do a good job as a hacker overseas for the north carean government, i mean, ha, prodigious individuals, a prodigious role, i think, to have in the military rom what i know of it, you know, when you go back home, you'llbe sort of fated as a bit of a hero. You know, you end out, you hacked for the government, here's your big apartment and your big telly, and, you know, your cushy job within government, amd compared to the hardship and normal north grin society. That probably sounds pretty tempting. But the only thing i just don't think you can discount isou said, brain washing, it's probably the right word, but it's just impossible for you and i to put ourselves in the position af someone has been raised from birth to lieve that this is the greatest country on earth, north career, that the leader is the greatest person on earth, that this leader has almost mystical powers, that they are effectively the far country, and that the rest of the world is against you. It's, it's almost impossible for us to put ourselves in that position. And the sway of that to go, ok, i have to go back home. I belong to country that's inculcated in people from birth. In north ris it's quis things, quite hard to get out from under, that,
Speaker 2
sir.

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