South Korea also reported that it had identified signature malicious computer codes and an internet address, as reported by Reuters.
The cyber attack happened last month and caused the shut down of the country’s presidential office website as well as the websites of the country’s ruling party for a total of 69 paralyzed websites, according to the New York Times. The attack happened on June 25, the 63rd anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Chun Kilsoo, an official at the state-run Internet and Security Agency, said in a statement that the agency detected an IP address from within North Korean borders.
“These were meticulously planned attacks that had been prepared at least for several months to find the weak spots of their targets,” said Park Jae-moon, a senior ministry official. He added that the hackers allegedly worked through South Korean file-sharing websites.
North Korea has denied any involvement in the attack, claiming that it has also been the victim of hacking in recent months.
The last major Korean cyber attack happened in March of this year. That attack paralyzed tens of thousands of computers and servers at South Korean banks and broadcasters.
The accusations followed Monday’s news of failed talks between the two Koreas on reopening the jointly-run Kaesong factory complex.
Kaesong was closed down in February over rising tensions between the two Koreas, when North Korea conducted a nuclear test.
Hacking collective Anonymous said it attacked North Korean websites on June 25 but denied via Twitter any involvement in the South Korean attack.
