Seoul: North Korean hackers stole $1.2B in virtual assets

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency says North Korean hackers have stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets in the past five years, more than half of it this year alone. North Korea is believed to have turned to illegal cyber activities as a source of badly needed foreign currency to support its fragile economy and fund its nuclear program following harsh U.N. sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, says it believes North Korea’s capacity to steal digital assets is among the best in the world.