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Math Olympiad As A Turning Point
- At the 2016 International Mathematical Olympiad a North Korean competitor, Jon Yel, looked distracted because he feared being recruited by the regime after returning home.
- He treated the competition as a final chance to defect from a system that channels math talent into military or cyber roles.
Math Talent Funnels Into Cyber Warfare
- North Korea grooms top math talent into 'cyber warriors' who serve state projects like nuclear programs or hacking operations.
- The regime treats cyber capability as a career path that can be more destructive than conventional weapons because it allows remote damage.
Modern Tech Amid Isolation
- Jowad Cohen toured Pyongyang and noticed modern tech and surreal propaganda scenes like traffic police performing when lights fail.
- He observed people who had never heard of YouTube despite videos of them being viral online, showing controlled exposure to technology.