North Korean hackers used fake martial law documents in mass phishing attack



News North Korean hackers used fake martial law documents in mass phishing attack Seoul’s cybercrime investigation unit say opportunistic campaign sent emails to more than 17K targets in South Korea Joon Ha Park April 15, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A North Korean man on a computer in Pyongyang. \| Image: NK News (April 9, 2018) North Korean cybercriminals used fake documents related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law to try and steal personal data from South Koreans, according to ROK police, seeking to capitalize on the political turmoil to benefit the regime. But while the attack highlights Pyongyang’s exploitation of cybersecurity gaps, an expert said that it did not appear to be an attempt to carry out an influence campaign. North Korean cybercriminals used fake documents related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law to try and steal personal data from South Koreans, according to ROK police, seeking to capitalize on the political turmoil to benefit the regime. But while the attack highlights Pyongyang’s exploitation of cybersecurity gaps, an expert said that it did not appear to be an attempt to carry out an influence campaign. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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North Korean hackers used fake martial law documents in mass phishing attack

Seoul’s cybercrime investigation unit say opportunistic campaign sent emails to more than 17K targets in South Korea

Joon Ha Park April 15, 2025

North Korean hackers used fake martial law documents in mass phishing attack

A North Korean man on a computer in Pyongyang. | Image: NK News (April 9, 2018)

North Korean cybercriminals used fake documents related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law to try and steal personal data from South Koreans, according to ROK police, seeking to capitalize on the political turmoil to benefit the regime.

But while the attack highlights Pyongyang’s exploitation of cybersecurity gaps, an expert said that it did not appear to be an attempt to carry out an influence campaign.