Lawmaker: Attackers Unidentified in 16 of 18 Overseas Hacks on South Korean Financial Firms Since 2024
A South Korean lawmaker said Friday that 16 of 18 suspected overseas hacking attacks on domestic financial companies since 2024 remain unattributed, with only two attackers identified.
The report released by Song showed that local financial firms had reported 18 hacking attacks originating overseas from the start of 2024 through Thursday. Only two of those cases have led to identification of the attackers. In July 2025, Seoul Guarantee Insurance Co. was hit by GUNRA, an international ransomware group, in an attack that disrupted its operations for 64 hours. In April 2026, Baro Savings Bank was attacked by the ransomware group INC Ransom.
Of the remaining 16 cases, 13 were tied to internet protocol addresses believed to be located overseas. In three cases, the countries of origin were unknown. The countries connected to the known cases included China, the United States, Bulgaria and Vietnam. The report noted that an IP address does not necessarily show where an attacker is physically based.
"We need to promptly establish an AI-based defense system to address hacking attempts," Song said. He stressed the need to develop technologies capable of identifying attackers, noting that IP addresses can be easily concealed or disguised.
The data comes as several South Korean financial companies, including Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank, suffered leaks of customer information in a series of hacking attacks last week. The incidents have raised concerns over possible data breaches at more firms.