Seoul sanctions North Korean hacking group after failed satellite launch

Seoul, Jun 2 (EFE).- South Korea on Friday announced unilateral sanctions against a North Korean hacking group, Kimsuky, in response to Pyongyang’s failed attempt to launch a rocket carrying a military spy satellite this week.

These are the the eighth unilateral sanctions imposed by South Korea on the North since President Yoon Suk-yeol came to power in May last year.

The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that Kimsuky collected intelligence from individuals and institutions in the fields of diplomacy, security, and national defense and provided it to the North Korean regime.

It added that North Korean hacking groups, including Kimsuky, have been, directly or indirectly, engaged in the North’s so-called “satellite” development by stealing cutting-edge technologies on weapons development, satellite and space from around the world.

North Korea launched a Chollima-1 space rocket on Wednesday carrying what it claimed was its first military spy satellite.

However, the carrier rocket fell into the Yellow Sea “after losing thrust due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine after the separation of the first stage during the normal flight.”.

Although Pyongyang defends its sovereign right to put satellites into orbit, the international community suspects that the launch – as with previous launches of North Korean satellites – is a covert test of ballistic missile technology, which would punishable by UN sanctions that weigh on Pyongyang.

Seoul also issued a joint notice with Washington on Friday to warn the international community about the illegal activities of the group, which is believed to be linked to the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a North Korean military intelligence agency, and which is accused of gathering intelligence on foreign policy and national security issues.

The joint advisory on Kimsuky provides detailed information on the hacking techniques employed by the group and recommends taking precautions against suspicious activities. EFE

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