Amazon blocks North Korean IT applicants

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report — "Amazon blocks North Korean IT applicants"

Date: December 23, 2025
Host: Gideon Long (BBC World Service for Marketplace)
Correspondents: Suranjana Tiwari, Rick Kelsey

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a brisk global business news update, focusing first on Amazon’s efforts to block North Korean IT job applicants suspected of funneling wages to their government’s weapons program. The show then touches on recent market moves and the influence of fervent Japanese fan culture ("Oshikatsu") on the country's economy, before closing with a quirky story about a long-lost Air India plane.

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Key Segments and Insights

1. Amazon Blocks North Korean IT Workers

[00:59–03:33]

• Main Point: Amazon has blocked over 1,800 suspected North Korean IT applicants in the past two years. These attempts are part of broader North Korean efforts to generate revenue for its weapons programs through remote work.
• Mechanism: Candidates typically use stolen or faked identities to secure remote jobs, relying on so-called “laptop farms”—computers based in the US but operated from abroad.
• Industry-Wide Issue: According to Amazon’s Chief Security Officer Stephen Schmidt, this is not limited to Amazon; the problem likely affects the entire US tech sector.
• Supporting Examples:
  • In June, US authorities discovered 29 illegal “laptop farms” run by North Koreans across the country.
  • Some US brokers were indicted for helping North Korean operatives secure IT jobs.
  • In July, a woman in Arizona was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for running a laptop farm scheme that yielded more than $17 million for North Korea and herself.
• Notable Quote:
  • Suranjana Tiwari: “They were trying to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identity and apparently their objective is typically straightforward, to get hired to get paid and funnel wages back to fund the regime's weapons programs.” [01:35]
  • “He’s shone a spotlight on Amazon's issue and said it is prevalent across the tech industry.” [02:40]
• Implication: The tech sector faces ongoing security challenges in vetting remote applicants. Enforcement and vigilance are critical as these attempts are likely occurring “at scale across the industry.”

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2. Global Business & Markets Update

[03:34–04:31]

• Novo Nordisk: Shares surged over 7% after the US FDA approved a pill version of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy.
• Ryanair: Europe’s biggest budget airline fined $300 million in Italy for market abuse.
• Toyota: Recalling more than 55,000 vehicles in the US over concerns about improperly tightened bolts in an electricity inverter.

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3. Oshikatsu: The Power of Japanese Fan Culture

[04:31–08:09]

• Focus: “Oshikatsu” describes obsessive fan activities, particularly in Japan, from anime to music idols.
• On the Ground: At the world’s largest anime store, fans (“otaku”) describe the passion and spending associated with oshikatsu—badges, toys, posters, “gifts” to favorite characters.
  • Quote: “Oshikatsu is a way of us otakus to appeal our love to like our favorite characters, our favorite idols, our favorite like singers…” – Anime Fan [05:03]
• Economic Impact:
  • Average fan spends ~$1,600 per year on their “oshi” (favorite).
  • The phenomenon is strongest among teens and 20-somethings, but with rising wages, even older adults are getting involved.
  • Spending on oshikatsu is reshaping retail: "They're kind of like changing the allocation for shikatsu by sacrificing their own spending activities." – Norahiro Yamaguchi, Economist [07:34]
    • Fans shift budgets from clothing and housing to support their obsessions.
  • Long-Term Cultural Shift: Younger generations are less interested in luxury goods, preferring to invest in experiences and fan merchandise.
  • Quote: “I feel like, well, I'm trapped. I'm trapped, but happily trapped. Happily trapped. And so what? I love it.” – Adult Anime Fan [07:05]
• Potential: As oshikatsu becomes less private and more mainstream, it’s propelling Japanese retail out of a slump and breathing new life into consumer markets.

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4. Offbeat Story: Air India's Missing Plane

[08:22–end]

• Story: Air India located a Boeing 737 that had been missing for 13 years at Kolkata airport.
• Consequence: The airline now faces a $110,000 parking fine for leaving the plane unclaimed.
• Moment of Levity: A quirky reminder of the kinds of operational oversights even major airlines can make.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “They were trying to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identity and apparently their objective is typically straightforward, to get hired to get paid and funnel wages back to fund the regime's weapons programs.”
  — Suranjana Tiwari [01:35]

• “In July, a woman from Arizona was sentenced to more than eight years in jail for running a similar laptop farm... The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit gains for her and for Pyongyang.”
  — Suranjana Tiwari [03:15]

• “Oshikatsu is a way of us otakus to appeal our love to like our favorite characters…”
  — Anime Fan [05:03]

• "I feel like, well, I'm trapped. I'm trapped, but happily trapped. Happily trapped. And so what? I love it."
  — Adult Anime Fan [07:05]

• “Younger generations are less interested in the luxury brand produce and spending more on oshikatsu.”
  — Norahiro Yamaguchi, Economist [08:02]

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Episode Flow Outline & Timestamps

• [00:59] Amazon blocks 1,800+ North Korean IT applicants
• [01:29] How “laptop farms” function in US-based remote jobs
• [02:33] The problem is industry-wide; examples of enforcement
• [03:34] Markets and global business updates: Novo Nordisk, Ryanair, Toyota
• [04:31] Japanese “oshikatsu” culture and its economic impact
• [05:03] Otaku (superfan) culture explained by fans themselves
• [07:34] Economist perspective: Shifting consumer spending toward fandom
• [08:22] Air India finds missing plane, faces large fine

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Conclusion

This episode spotlights the intersection of security threats, economic trends, and cultural shifts across the globe. From Amazon’s efforts to safeguard against foreign exploitation, to the powerful effects of Japanese fan spending, the program offers a brisk, insightful morning snapshot for listeners eager to understand today's business landscape.

For a quick, informed start to your day — this episode delivers the news behind the numbers and the culture shaping tomorrow’s markets.

Transcript

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[Gideon Long]

Amazon tells North Koreans you have no Korea here in the uk. This is the Marketplace morning report from the BBC World Service. I'm Gideon Long. Good morning. The tech giant Amazon says it's blocked more than 1800 North Koreans from trying to join the company in the past two years. Amazon's chief security officer said North Koreans often try to get hired and then send wages back to fund their government's weapons programs. The BBC's Suranjana Tiwari has the details from Singapore. Hi, Suranjana.

[Suranjana Tiwari]

Hi there.

[Gideon Long]

Tell us more. Sure. And Jona.

[Suranjana Tiwari]

Yeah. This has come from Amazon's Chief security officer, Stephen Schmidt, who wrote it in a LinkedIn post. And he basically said that the US technology giant has seen an upsurge in the number of job applications from suspected North Korean agents. Now, they were trying to apply for remote working IT jobs using stolen or fake identity and apparently their objective is typically straightforward, to get hired to get paid and funnel wages back to fund the regime's weapons programs. That's according to Stephen Schmidt. Now, he added that this is actually likely to be happening not just in Amazon, but at scale across the industry, especially in the United States. And the way that it works is they rely on something called laptop farms, which is basically working with people who are using computers based in the US but are run remotely from outside of the country.

[Gideon Long]

Right. And how common is this then? And are other tech companies worried given what Amazon has been saying?

[Suranjana Tiwari]

Yeah, well, Mr. Schmidt has sounded the alarm. He's shone a spotlight on Amazon's issue and said it is prevalent across the tech industry. Probably there have been a few cases that show that this is happening. In June, for example, the US government said it had uncovered 29 laptop firms that were being operated illegally across the country by North Korea Korean IT workers. And they also used stolen or forged identities of Americans to help these North Korean nationals get jobs in the US and it also indicted some brokers who had helped those operatives secure jobs. In July, a woman from Arizona was sentenced to more than eight years in jail for running a similar laptop farm. And the Department of justice in the US said the scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit games for for her and for Pyongyang.

[Gideon Long]

Sir and John Atowari, thanks for joining us on Marketplace.

[Suranjana Tiwari]

Thank you.

[Gideon Long]

Let's do the numbers. Shares in the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk have jumped more than 7% after the U.S. food and Drug Administration approved a pill version of its weight loss drug Wegovy. Europe's largest budget airline, Ryanair, has been fined $300 million in Italy for abuse of a dominant market position. And Japanese carmaker Toyota has recalled over 55,000 cars in the US due to fears that a bolt inside the electricity inverter might not have been tightened properly. Now people get obsessed by things all over the world, whether it be sports teams, pop stars or anime cartoons. But the Japanese have a word for it, Oshikatsu, to describe this fervent fan culture. Some economists say Oshikatsu and the purchasing power that comes with it has helped pull Japanese retail sales out of a long slump. The BBC Rick Kelce is in Tokyo.

[Rick Kelsey]

We've come to the world's largest anime store in Tsushima City here in Tokyo. Anime is a Japanese animation in the form of film and TV shows. And this is a 10 story building covering an incredible 92,000 square feet. Those footsteps are fans heading up to the theater and the event halls. On the top floors, 16 year olds Mao, Emery and Senu are on a mission to find their favorite characters merchandise.

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

It's basically like people who love things love a certain character. Anime. It's usually used as in like anime context or like idol context. But Oshikatsu is a way of us otakus to appeal our love to like our favorite characters, our favorite idols, our favorite like singers, stuff like that.

[Rick Kelsey]

Oshikatsu comes in the physical form. Badges, posters, buttons, mini character toys. If you're a person who takes part in Oshikatsu, you might be known as an otaku, someone who obsessively puts their time, money and energy into a hobby.

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

Imagine like Valentine's and you know how Like a guy gives presents to the girl, right? It's basically that. But like we're giving the. We're getting things so that to say gratitude to our favorite 2D characters or whatever.

[Rick Kelsey]

And what are your favorite characters?

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

I have a lot though. Yeah, yeah. Do you know Demon Slayer? Yeah, yeah. My favorite character from Demon Slayer is Muichiro Boy with like the long black hair with like blue on the bottom. But it's really like love at first sight type of thing. And it's like you look at the character and you're like, oh my goodness, I love him.

[Rick Kelsey]

Oshis can be real people, often actors or celebrities as well. And a recent survey by Japanese marketing company KDG and Oshikoko, an advertising agency, suggests the Average fan spends 1600 US dollars a year on their oshi. It's a trend for teenagers and 20 somethings. But after years of little growth, wage rises have seen some older people support an oshi too. I've headed on the underground to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony to meet with Humiji, who's taught English here in Tokyo for 15 years.

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

Many of the adults or grown ups do oshikatsu. Like someone do oshikatsu for the Korean actor or Korean musician.

[Rick Kelsey]

Do you ever feel like it's you're buying into the. The commercial?

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

I feel it, yeah. I was, I was born. I mean, I don't know if if the English expression is good or not, but I feel like, well, I'm trapped. I'm trapped, but happily trapped. Happily trapped. And so what? I love it.

[Rick Kelsey]

We've come to a rooftop anime festival in Shibuya, a popular shopping and entertainment area, to find out more about spending habits. Norahiro Yamaguchi is an economist with Oxford Economics in Tokyo.

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

The biggest contributor is changing the allocation on spending. So for example, they're increasing the oshikatsu spending, but at the same time they're cutting the their spending on clothing and also on their residents. To make a long story short, they're kind of like changing the allocation for shikatsu by sacrificing their own spending activities.

[Gideon Long]

Wow.

[Rick Kelsey]

What's brought around this change? Do we know?

[Anime Fan / Otaku]

Younger generations are less interested in the luxury brand produce and spending more on oshikatsu.

[Rick Kelsey]

Oshikatsu in private has been around for years. Now superfan culture is increasingly more open, boosting its potential to grow the Japanese economy. I'm the BBC's Rick Kelsey for Marketplace Arigato.

[Gideon Long]

And finally, Air India has found one of its planes that went missing 13 years ago. The bad news though is that it has to pay a hefty fine to get it back. The airline misplaced the Boeing 737 at Kolkata airport in 2012. It seemed to disappear from the company's records until airport authorities contacted Air India last month and asked them to come and collect it. They also slapped the company with a backdated parking fine of nearly $110,000 in the UK I'm Gideon Long with the Marketplace Morning Report from the BBC World Service. Wherever you are, thanks for listening. As we head toward the end of the year, Marketplace is here to help you make sense of the economy, what's happening, why it matters, and how it affects you. And if this reporting has been valuable to you in 2025, consider becoming a Marketplace investor. Your support powers independent journalism that cuts through the noise and delivers clarity when it counts. Donate now at marketplace. Org or click the link in the show Notes.