South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has allegedly spotted North Korea or pro-North Korea factions behind the crippling distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against South Korean and U.S. government bodies which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The NIS released a document on the attacks to members of the Intelligence Committee of National Assembly on the 8th, reporting that, “This DDos attack was seemingly prepared and carried out by North Korea or pro-North Korea factions.”
The NIS pointed out that, “If North Korea were to attack internet financial deals, online shopping malls or other internet services in this way, then financial devastation, as well as considerable inconvenience, would be likely.”
A high official in the South’s administration explained, “The North Korean Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland warned last month of a cyber attack against the two countries, South Korea and the U.S. These cases look so similar to past hacking cases which were presumed to have been committed by pro-North Korea factions, so there is high possibility that North Korea or pro-North Korea factions committed these too.”
However, the NIS briefing did not reveal any technological background evidence, leading some opposition lawmakers to claim that the NIS is trying to raise social tensions by pinning the blame on North Korea.
Park Ji Won, member of the Intelligence Committee of National Assembly, said, “After I got the document from the NIS, I asked whether or not there was any concrete evidence. An NIS official told me that it was just an assumption, and that after several days they would be able to find out. The NIS is simply trying to make people confused by announcing mere conjecture.”
