Police said the ringleader, a self-taught coder, led a group that demanded 360 million won ($272,000) in extortionate payouts.
The words “AI Hacking” and PHP code are displayed on a screen in this graphic from Oct. 22.
REUTERS/YONHAP
A self-taught coder and six accomplices allegedly used generative AI to hack some 90 organizations across Korea, stealing 8.2 million records and extorting victims for cash. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation division said Monday that it had apprehended the seven suspects, including the alleged ringleader, on charges including violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and extortion.The arrests mark the country’s first arrests in a large-scale AI-assisted hacking case.
The ringleader was referred to prosecutors while in custody on Friday, while investigations into the remaining six suspects are ongoing.The group allegedly hacked into some 90 organizations across Korea between September of last year and October of this year, including hospitals, golf courses, universities, private academies and subsidiaries of major conglomerates, according to police.The suspects stole a total of 8.2 million records, including personal information and internal corporate documents, during the attacks.They then allegedly sent threatening emails to 38 of the affected organizations, saying, “If you don’t pay, we will leak the information. If the data breach becomes public, your company’s reputation could suffer, and you could face regulatory fines and lawsuits from customers seeking compensation.”They demanded a combined 360 million won ($272,000) in exchange for not disclosing the stolen information.The police investigation began in June after one of the affected organizations filed a complaint.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency headquarters in central Seoul
YONHAP
Investigators apprehended six suspects between July and September before arresting the alleged ringleader on Oct. 15.The ringleader, who did not major in information technology, had previously worked on penetration testing, a practice that simulates cyberattacks to identify security vulnerabilities. Police believe he taught himself hacking techniques through online blogs and YouTube videos.He reportedly began using generative AI extensively in August, which significantly expanded the scale of the hacking operation.An accomplice allegedly recruited additional participants through Telegram with messages such as “Looking for people to make simple phone calls for pay. Takes just 30 seconds.”Those recruited were tasked with calling and texting employees of the targeted organizations to inform them of the breaches and pressure them into paying, investigators found.Police said they had recovered all stolen records containing personal information.Investigators also used an internal AI-powered analysis system to quickly examine large volumes of evidence and logs from the affected organizations. The system helped police apprehend all seven suspects within four months of launching the investigation and prevent further damage, according to police.Police described the case as the first in Korea in which suspects involved in a large-scale AI-assisted hacking operation had been apprehended.“We will continue our investigation into the accomplices and work to identify additional victims,” a police official said. “To respond to increasingly sophisticated AI-related crimes, we will actively expand the use of AI in police investigations.”BY HAN CHAN-WOO [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]
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.
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