14 DAY TRIAL // On Sunday, a South Korean official cited a statement made by Kim Jong-un in which the North Korean leader expressed his confidence in the country’s cyberwarfare capabilities.
According to The Chosunilbo, Kim Jong-un is particularly confident in North Korea’s cyber capabilities against South Korea.
“If we have strong information technology and brave warriors like the Reconnaissance General Bureau, we will be able to break any sanctions and have no problem building a strong and prosperous country,” Kim Jong-un reportedly said in February.
The South Korean official that cited Kim Jong-un revealed that North Korea had around 12,000 “highly skilled” hackers, many of which are talented children that are trained to become cyber warriors at the General Staff Department’s Mirim College, or the Reconnaissance Bureau’s Moranbong College.
The official says there are around 1,000 North Korean hackers that work under cover for various software companies and trading firms in China, Southeast Asia and Europe.
“These North Korean hackers take orders from South Korean criminal networks based abroad to create websites for games and gambling, and are given servers and laptops. They ultimately serve as the infrastructure for cyber attacks against South Korea,” the South Korean official revealed.
In March, several high-profile organizations from South Korea were hit by cyberattacks that disrupted their operations. South Korea hasn’t named a culprit yet, but North Korea remains the main suspect.
Shortly after the attacks, South Korea announced its intentions to create a position for a cyber-security secretary within the presidential office. The new secretary would allow authorities to respond faster and more efficiently to cyberattacks.
Currently, there are several agencies tasked with responding to cyberattacks: the Korea Communications Service, the military cyber command, the police, and the National Intelligence Service.