Recent discoveries by a cyber security researcher have revealed that North Korean animators might have been working on Amazon Prime and HBO Max animation series.
Cybersecurity expert, Nick Roy, has been researching the internet presence of North Korea for years and has recently come across some extremely strange data, connected to animation series from streaming providers like Amazon Prime Video and HBO.
Could it be that these shows have accidentally used animations, made by North Korean animators? Here you will find out what it's all about.
Has North Korea Been Working On US Animation Series?
Although North Korea's internet presence is minimal and hard to access, cybersecurity expert Nick Roy has recently discovered thousands of Animation files on a weak North Korean cloud server. The files that he found seem to be connected to ongoing TV projects from the US, like an Amazon Prime Video show or an HBO children's anime, among others.
North Korea's relationship with the USA is seen as problematic due to North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons, threats to its neighbors, and human rights violations. The USA has imposed sanctions on North Korea as a response to its nuclear activities and human rights abuses, aiming to pressure the regime into changing its behavior.
After looking at the files in detail, he found signs that North Korean animators have been working with them. The animation files contained animation cells, videos, and notes discussing ongoing projects, including changes needed to be made. The comments and editing instructions found in the files were in Chinese and translated into Korean, suggesting collaboration between Chinese and North Korean animators.
Even with VPN masking, Nick Roy managed to find access to the server from Spain and three Chinese cities known for their North Korean-run businesses, which could point to an international connection between them.
Skybound Entertainment has now commented on this, but denies knowledge of these connections and announced that it is investigating the matter.
To our fans: Skybound has been made aware of an unconfirmed report concerning a cloud storage server connected to a North Korean IP address. This server supposedly contains an Invincible animation sketch. Our official statement follows.We do not work with North Korean...
— Skybound Entertainment (@Skybound) April 21, 2024