Report: Two South Koreans Paid in Bitcoin to Spy for North Korea

Two South Korean citizens were arrested for allegedly passing military secrets to North Korean hackers. One was a businessman who runs a crypto asset management company and the other was a serving army captain. The individuals were allegedly given bitcoin in exchange for the information. They were each reportedly paid $600,000 and $37 789 respectively.

An AFP report states that South Korean law enforcement was quoted as saying that this arrest was the first time a civilian or an active-duty military commander were caught spying on North Korea. The captain’s name has not been revealed by the authorities. They claimed that the individual had given information to an alleged North Korean spy to log into South Korea’s Joint Command and Control System.

On the other hand, the cryptocurrency exchange operator is accused of providing a spying device for the military captain. According to the report, the North Korean spy ordered the operation. The report claims that the businessman also bought and constructed a hacking device similar to a USB. This device could be used to gain access to the South Korea Joint Command & Control System.

Violations of the National Security Law

A Korean National Police Agency official was arrested following the incident. The report confirms:

Two men were arrested for violating national security laws.

The Korean prosecution office responded to the arrests by warning that it would’respond to security crimes in accordance with laws and principles’

Just a few weeks ago, the FBI charged North Korean hackers with hacking the Ronin bridge. According to Bitcoin.com News, the North Korean cyber criminals responsible for this incident are thought to have taken more than $600 millions.