South Korean police have established North Korea's involvement in a significant cryptocurrency theft in 2019. This is the first official connection of such incidents with North Korea.
Incident Details
Reportedly, hackers linked to North Korea’s military intelligence agency stole 342,000 Ethereum tokens. This marks the first time North Korea has been directly linked to cryptocurrency heists targeting South Korea.
Financial Impact
The stolen Ethereum tokens were valued at 58 billion won ($41.5 million) at the time of the theft. According to the National Police Agency, their value today exceeds 1.4 trillion won ($1 billion).
Role of International Cooperation
The investigation was conducted with the help of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Authorities officially identified the Lazarus and Andariel groups, both tied to North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, as responsible for the hack.
This theft highlights the importance of international cooperation and the need for enhanced security measures in the cryptocurrency sector to prevent future attacks.
