Kim Ung Sun (Korean: 김응순; born June 23, 1964), also known as Kim U'ng-sun, is a North Korean economic and trade consular official who was based in Khabarovsk, Russia. Born in South Phyongan Province, North Korea, he holds a North Korean passport issued in February 2024. He was sanctioned by the United States government in August 2025 for his involvement in a scheme to generate revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) through the illicit activities of overseas information technology (IT) workers. ^{[1] [6]}

Career

In his capacity as a DPRK economic and trade consular official stationed in Russia, Kim Ung Sun was responsible for coordinating financial transactions on behalf of the North Korean government. His activities came to the attention of international authorities due to his collaboration with Vitaliy Sergeyevich Andreyev, a Russian national. Together, they facilitated financial transfers amounting to nearly $600,000 since at least December 2024. The primary method for these transfers was the conversion of cryptocurrency into U.S. dollar cash. ^{[1] [2] [4] [5]}

The funds managed by Kim and his associate were directed to the Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company (Chinyong), a DPRK entity sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 and associated with North Korea's defense ministry. Chinyong employs teams of IT workers in foreign countries, including Russia and Laos, to earn foreign currency. This operation is part of a wider state-sponsored effort by the DPRK to circumvent international sanctions and finance its prohibited weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. The IT workers often operate under false identities, using stolen identity documents to secure high-paying remote employment at legitimate Western companies and covertly siphoning their wages back to the regime. Kim's role was crucial in the financial chain, enabling the conversion and movement of illicitly generated digital assets into usable fiat currency for the North Korean state. The sanctions against Kim were part of a larger action that also targeted Andreyev, a Chinese front company for Chinyong named Shenyang Geumpungri Network Technology Co., and Korea Sinjin Trading Corporation, a North Korean firm housed within the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces General Political Bureau. ^{[1] [3] [4] [5]}

U.S. Sanctions

On August 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) officially added Kim Ung Sun to its list of sanctioned individuals. The designation was made under the authority of Executive Order (E.O.) 13687, which targets officials of the Government of North Korea and the Workers' Party of Korea. OFAC cited Kim for having "acted or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of North Korea." ^{[1] [4] [6]}

This action was part of a broader set of designations targeting a network involved in the DPRK's IT worker fraud scheme. In the announcement, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley stated, "The North Korean regime continues to target American businesses through fraud schemes involving its overseas IT workers, who steal data and demand ransom." The sanctions against Kim were announced as part of a whole-of-government effort in coordination with allies, including Japan and the Republic of Korea. The U.S. State Department and the foreign ministries of Japan and South Korea issued a joint statement on the same day highlighting the threats posed by DPRK IT workers, following a forum convened in Tokyo to address the scheme holistically. ^{[1] [5]}

The legal implications of the sanctions are severe. All property and interests in property belonging to Kim Ung Sun that are within U.S. jurisdiction or in the control of U.S. persons are blocked. Transactions by U.S. persons involving any of his property are generally prohibited. Furthermore, foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions on his behalf are exposed to the risk of secondary sanctions, which could restrict their access to the U.S. financial system. ^{[1] [2]}