According to a recent report, Invincible and other American animation productions may have been made in part by North Korean labor.
On Monday, US-based North Korea research project 38 North released a report detailing their findings regarding a North Korean internet server that contained animation production materials for various titles.
Based on the findings of the report, it seems that animation productions in America and other countries may have inadvertently outsourced their production work to North Korean labor.
Report Suggests North Koreans Outsourced for Animation Works
In 38 North’s report, a North Korean internet cloud server was found to have been misconfigured so that the files inside could be accessed without a password.
The report states that the server was found by Nick Roy, who runs the NK Internet blog.
Roy and 38 North observed the server from late 2023 to January 2024, and they found that new files would appear on the server regularly.
These files include animation materials and instructions for animation work, along with reports on the results of a day’s work.
The instructions for the work were found to have comments in Chinese and Korean, indicating that middlemen may have acted on behalf of the North Korean workers and the production companies.
Given the sanctions on North Korea, US-based companies are not allowed to outsource their work to North Korean workers.
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Invincible and Other Animated Series Files Reportedly Found in North Korean Server
38 North’s findings noted that files for six animation projects were on the server. One of these is the Amazon Original series Invincible season 3.
Specifically, a document on the server with the series’ name was found alongside Viltrumite Pants LLC, which is part of the Skybound Group.
Aside from Invincible, YouNeek Studios and Lion Forge Entertainment’s Iyanu, Child of Wonder files were also found on the server. This title is set to be released on HBO Max in 2024.
Along with these two American productions, the report also noted other productions, including the anime Dahlia in Bloom, a Chinese project by Shepherd Boy Animation, the BBC’s Octonauts, and a project by Hokkaido-based studio Ekachi Epilka.
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Western Companies May Not Have Known about the North Korean Outsourcing
The report does clarify that there is no evidence that the companies knew about the North Korean outsourcing of their work.
38 North posits that because of the Chinese language of instruction, it’s possible that the outsourcing contracts to North Korea were several steps downstream.
In a report by Reuters regarding the findings, representatives from Amazon and HBO Max declined to comment.
What are your thoughts on the research’s findings? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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