South Korea's Lee Orders All-Out Response to Financial Hacking Attacks
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered government personnel and resources to minimize damage from a series of hacking attacks on financial firms, as police launched an investigation and the financial watchdog identified 19 IP addresses abroad linked to the attacks.
Lee gave the order at a Cabinet meeting, saying details had emerged in some hacking cases of the possible use of artificial intelligence, causing people to feel great concern and anxiety. He asked for a swift and clear determination of the circumstances and for personnel and resources to be concentrated on minimizing damage. He called for high vigilance not only within the government and business sectors but across society, saying AI-driven hacking methods are increasing the scope of damage to previously unseen levels. "It is difficult to respond to evolving cyber threats by handling accidents after they happen," Lee said. "We must have the security capabilities to detect and block attacks in advance." He also called for accelerated efforts to develop and adopt AI tools tailored for cyber security.
Police said a 28-member team is looking into charges of violations of the information and communications network law. The investigation followed back-to-back leaks of customer information last week, raising concerns that more firms might have suffered data breaches.
The Financial Supervisory Service has pinpointed 19 internet protocol addresses in the United States, Japan and 10 other countries used for the attacks, industry sources said Tuesday. The FSS shortlisted IP addresses in 12 countries that are presumed to have been used for the AI agent-backed hacking, according to the sources. Local financial firms have been hurrying to check their own security systems to fend off any additional hacking attempts.
Shinhan Bank said Thursday that personal information of around 25,000 customers, including their names, phone numbers and annual income, had been leaked. Sources said the bank was attacked by hackers who used advanced AI tools. Personal information of 89 customers was found to have been leaked from Hana Bank, while Woori Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank were also targeted in similar hacking attempts, though no personal information was leaked because the banks blocked unauthorized access to their systems.
Over the weekend, President Lee called for a thorough investigation into the attacks.