On August 28, 2024, a Twitter user named @Bizarreduct surprised the internet (specifically X users) by revealing the discovery of a massive 31GB data leak from a North Korean cloud server.
The leak, allegedly originating from a misconfigured North Korean server, sent cybersecurity experts and curious users scrambling to discover what explosive secrets might be revealed.
The truth behind the leak, however, was far more unexpected: North Korea had been working as an uncredited subcontractor on global animation projects.
Instead of government conspiracies or secret hacking operations, the leaked files show that North Korean animators have contributed to international animation series.
The Animation Studio No One Expected
This includes some unexpected titles such as Amazon's Invincible, Octonauts, and even anime projects.
The data dump revealed North Korea's animation industry working quietly behind the scenes for international clients, raising questions about the extent of their involvement and how many foreign companies unknowingly employ North Korean talent.
Martyn Williams, a 38 North journalist, says the leaked data confirms a story he reported earlier this year.
Williams and a team of researchers discovered a misconfigured North Korean cloud server in late 2023, revealing North Korea's hidden role in global animation production.
The server was discovered to contain daily uploads of animation files, as well as Chinese-language instructions relayed to North Korean animators.
The April 26 Animation Studio, also known as SEK Studio, is North Korea's leading animation house, having produced shows for both domestic and international markets for many years.
While the studio is sanctioned by the US government, the leak demonstrates that it continues to find work through complex outsourcing chains, often without foreign companies knowing where their work is being done.
Animation studios in China, and possibly elsewhere, have been outsourcing their own work to North Korean animators, resulting in a hidden pipeline of creative labor.
“Just Cartoons?” The Internet reacts.
When the files were first leaked, many on social media expected something far more scandalous than what was actually found.
Some users joked that North Korea had become an animation studio rather than a rogue state.
One user tweeted, “So the big North Korean leak was… anime? Are they trying to take over the world one cartoon at a time? 😂”
Another user remarked, “I thought we were about to see some crazy hacking info, but it's just Invincible Season 3? North Korea really out here animating superheroes!”
As people dug through the data, they discovered that North Korean animators had worked on a variety of international projects.
Some of the most notable discoveries included files related to Invincible, an Amazon Original series produced by California-based Skybound Entertainment, and Iyanu, Child of Wonder, a superhero anime set to premiere on HBO Max.
There were also animation assets for the Japanese series Dahliya in Bloom, as well as production materials for the popular children's television show Octonauts.
While the idea of North Korean animators working on such internationally recognized shows may appear amusing at first, it reveals a much more complex issue.
Animation studios in China, where much animation work is outsourced, have subcontracted projects to North Korean animators, possibly without the original companies' knowledge.
This process effectively conceals North Korea's involvement, making it difficult for foreign companies to ensure they are in compliance with sanctions.
What We Learned from the Leak
Is this just some kind of a fun and interesting story? Not quite… This leak provides an unprecedented look at the work of North Korean animators, exposing the hidden layers of outsourcing in the global animation industry.
According to Williams' research, animation companies may be unknowingly violating U.S. and U.N. sanctions by hiring North Korean workers through a complex network of subcontractors.
North Korean workers frequently pose as freelancers from other countries and use VPNs to hide their location, making it difficult for foreign companies to determine who is actually doing the work.
Nick Roy, a researcher who runs the NK Internet blog, had also noticed the misconfigured server and noted that the files included detailed instructions in Chinese, implying that a middleman was coordinating work between Chinese animation studios and North Korean animators.
These animators were creating high-quality animation for international markets while using government-controlled servers with limited internet access.
One of the most notable revelations from the leak was the presence of North Korean animators in Season 3 of Invincible, an Amazon Prime hit.
Documents related to the show appeared on the server, alongside materials from other popular series such as Octonauts.
Despite the sanctions imposed on North Korea's animation industry, it appears that international companies continue to rely on their work.
The leak raises serious concerns about outsourcing practices in the animation industry. Studios that outsource their work to China may be unaware that it is being sent to North Korea, which is still subject to strict international sanctions.
As Williams pointed out in his research, it is extremely difficult for businesses to ensure that they are not unintentionally violating sanctions when outsourcing animation or IT work to third-party studios.
The US government has long warned against unknowingly employing North Korean IT workers, who frequently misrepresent themselves as freelancers from other countries.
These workers use VPNs and other tools to conceal their true locations, and it is likely that the same techniques are used in the animation industry.