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Hacking attempts on Korean agencies surged more than fivefold in recent years

Published: 29 Sep. 2025, 11:52 Updated: 29 Sep. 2025, 19:27

Graphic image of a hacker [JOONGANG ILBO]

Hacking attempts targeting ministries and agencies under the National Assembly’s Economy and Finance Committee have surged more than fivefold over the past three years, according to recent data.

The number of hacking attempts on agencies under its jurisdiction totaled 278 in 2021 and 2022, before rising sharply to 684 in 2023 and more than doubling again to 1,557 in 2024, according to conservative People Power Party Rep. Lee In-seon, who sits on the committee.

The data, submitted by the Korea Fiscal Information Service, showed that attack types included 1,946 attempts to access websites, 1,694 cases of access via harmful IPs, 107 worm or virus infections, 15 scanning attempts and 12 distributed denial-of-service attacks.

Of particular concern is the sharp increase between 2023 and 2024, when hacking attempts more than doubled in a single year.

It was also confirmed that harmful IPs from North Korea accessed the Korea Minting and Security Printing Operating Corporation (Komsco) and the Korea Fiscal Information Service.

A Korea Fiscal Information Service official attributed the rise to global hacker activity surging in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024. “We’ve seen a steady increase in hacking attempts since the war began,” the official said.

The official also cited the ransomware attack on online bookstore Yes24 earlier this year as a watershed moment. “News that Yes24 negotiated with the hackers to resume services and offered compensation to users appears to have led foreign hacking groups to view Korean companies as negotiable targets for financial gain, resulting in a spike in attacks.”

“The government must go beyond passive responses and conduct a full overhaul of its national cybersecurity defense system,” said Lee.

Lee called for the creation of an integrated command center to detect early signs of attack, as well as a unified system for information sharing and response coordination among government agencies.

He also warned that North Korea targeting Komsco and the Korea Fiscal Information Service was “a serious provocation that directly threatens Korea’s fiscal security,” and urged the government to immediately bolster cybersecurity and increase related funding.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]