- Title: SONY-CYBERSECURITY/SEOUL REAX South Koreans worry about possible hacking
- Date: 18th December 2014
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (DECEMBER 18, 2014) (REUTERS) NIGHT VIEW OF GWANGHWAMUN SQUARE VARIOUS OF SOUTH KOREAN PEOPLE WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 29 YEAR-OLD KIM SE-HEE SAYING: "I'm very embarrassed and worried that a large corporation like Sony Pictures was hacked. Whenever this happens, we have to put our heads together and find an international solution immediately rather than being dragged by North Korea." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 27 YEAR-OLD KIM HAN-JUN SAYING: "It's been proven that a major international company such as Sony Pictures is also vulnerable to cyber attack. So I think our government should make some guidelines to deal with these kinds of issues." NIGHT VIEW OF GWANGHWAMUN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 49 YEAR-OLD KIM YONG-SUK SAYING: "As there are so many themes to make a film, I don't think it is desirable to target some specific leader of one nation by making fun of him," VARIOUS OF CARS PASSING ON STREETS
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2015 12:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVASTSYFMR9CFMZL56UYJDYPHSH
- Story Text: South Koreans expressed concern about a possible cyber attack by North Korea on Thursday (December 18) as U.S. investigators are expected to announce that North Korea is behind the cyber attack on Sony Corp's Hollywood studio.
Sony Pictures has cancelled the release of a comedy film on the fictional assassination of North Korea's leader, in what appears to be an unprecedented victory for Pyongyang and its abilities to wage cyber-warfare.
Hackers who said they were incensed by the film attacked Sony Corp last month, leaking documents that drew global headlines and distributing unreleased films on the Internet.
Washington may soon officially announce that the North Korean government was behind the attack, a U.S. government source said.
The $44 million (£28.2 million) raunchy comedy, "The Interview", had been set to debut on Dec. 25, Christmas Day, on thousands of screens.
North Korea has denied it was behind the hacking, but security experts in Washington said it was an open secret Pyongyang was responsible.
"I'm very embarrassed and worried that a large corporation like Sony Pictures was hacked. Whenever this happens, we have to put our heads together and find an international solution immediately rather than being dragged by North Korea," said 29-year-old Kim Se-hee.
Last year, South Korean government said it was likely North Korea had mounted cyber attacks on the websites of its presidential office and other government agencies, saying it had identified signature malicious computer codes and an internet address.
North Korea has been suspected of masterminding previous cyber attacks on South Korea, including one that paralyzed tens of thousands of computers and servers at major broadcasters and banks.
North and South Korea remain technically at war because a truce was signed at the end of their 1950-53 conflict, not a peace treaty.
Some urged South Korean government to prepare for possible cyber attacks.
"It's been proven that a major international company such as Sony Pictures is also vulnerable to cyber attack. So I think our government should make some guidelines to deal with these kinds of issues," said 27-year-old Kim Han-jun.
Others said the hacking was caused by an inappropriate material of the movie.
"As there are so many themes to make a film, I don't think it is desirable to target some specific leader of one nation by making fun of him," said 49-year-old Kim Yong-suk.
Defectors from the North have said Bureau 121, staffed by some of the most talented computer experts in the insular state, is part of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, an elite spy agency run by the military. They have said it is involved in state-sponsored hacking, used by the Pyongyang government to spy on or sabotage its enemies. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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