Chinese hacking group attack S. Korean academic institutions

A hacking group suspected to be Chinese that forewarned large-scale cyber attacks against over 2,000 South Korean government agencies, media groups, etc., attacked 12 academic institutions in South Korea.

The Korea Internet & Security Agency announced on Wednesday that the websites of the Korean Research Institute for Construction Policy and 11 other academic institutions were hacked on Sunday.

The hacking group responsible for the attacks is believed to be “Cyber Security Team” in China. The group hacked the websites with the defacement method of replacing the websites with a page that says “Announcing invasion of the South Korean Internet” along with the group’s logo. The hacked websites are unavailable to access at the moment. The 12 hacked websites are the Korean Research Institute for Construction Policy, Woorimal Society, Korean Archaeological Society, Association for Studies in Parents and Guardians, Research Institute for Early Childhood Education - Korea National University of Education, Korean Academy of Basic Medicine & Health Science, Korean Lesson Study Group for Social Studies, Korean East West Mind Science Association, Korean Cleft Lip and Palate Association, Korean Association for Education & Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired, Jeju National University Educational Research Institute, and Korean Society for Study of Educational Principles.

The hacking group also exposed the personal information of 161 employees of South Korean companies and institutions on the group’s website earlier this month.


namduck2@donga.com