# North Korea Selects Up to 200 Students a Year for Computer Science

By Simon Yoon

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/53467
Published: 2026-11-11T01:47:35.000Z
Updated: 2026-11-11T01:47:35.000Z
Section: Technology

> Top performers continue to elite universities for advanced math and cryptocurrency studies. The broader program also trains cyber operatives and overseas IT workers.

Defectors described an annual computer science program that identifies as many as 200 North Korean middle schoolers; its top students continue at elite universities, studying cryptocurrency systems and advanced mathematics.

The country’s cyber warfare unit dates to the late 1990s and grew after Kim Jong Un took power. Its broader program also trains cyber operatives and IT workers for postings overseas.

Top hackers may be given housing in Pyongyang, while their units can retain up to 30% of theft proceeds.