Operation Center 227: North Korea Aims to Enhance AI Hacking Capabilities

• According to reports, the North Korean government has ordered the creation of an offensive team of hackers
• They will work in the unit named Research Center 227 located in Mangyongdae District, North Korea
• The primary focus would be developing sophisticated AI tools for hacking, exfiltrating sensitive information, and coordinating with overseas members

Reports have surfaced online about opening a new research center in North Korea to develop modern hacking technology. An insider from a Seoul-based media organization, Daily NK, confirmed the order was from the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The source said to Daily NK, “In late February, the Supreme Commander issued an order to the RGB under the General Staff Department to enhance overseas information warfare capabilities. This order included instructions to establish Research Center 227 for hacking technology research.”

The report further added that after receiving the order to launch Research Center 227, the team began working on it on March 9. It is under the military’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) for research and development purposes. 

The primary focus of this research center would be to enhance the offensive capabilities using AI. 

Mentioning the location of Research Center 227, the source said, “This research center is separate from existing institutes under the RGB. While RGB headquarters is located in Pyongyang’s Hyongjesan District, Research Center 227 is situated in Mangyongdae District.” 

This center would operate round the clock and work with real-time information from the research teams deployed overseas.

It is speculated that the center would also facilitate gaining foreign intelligence besides improving its AI hacking capabilities. The report noted the objective of this research center is to gather information, disrupt networks, and gain financial intelligence through automated hacking.

The team is looking to begin operations with a newly recruited team of 90 computer experts after carefully selecting them based on performance in major universities and doctoral programs. 

Those selected candidates are said to have majored in program development, automation systems, or information security from university research institutes, central universities, and doctoral programs.

They will be part of the internal research staff that will develop offensive programs.