US Court Orders Forfeiture of $212,700 in Cryptocurrency Linked to North Korean IT Workers

A US court has ordered the forfeiture of cryptocurrency linked to North Korean overseas IT workers. Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled on September 3 that funds held in a cryptocurrency wallet starting with '0x81c4' should be forfeited to the US government.

The wallet contains stablecoins valued at $212,700 (approx. 285 million won). Prosecutors claim it holds 158,123 USDC and 54,574 USDT, estimated to be the wages of at least 14 North Korean IT workers.

This ruling is part of a larger lawsuit by the US Department of Justice to forfeit approximately $7.74 million (10.38 billion won) in cryptocurrency connected to North Korean overseas workers.