Korean Police Expand Team Investigating Financial-Sector Cyberattacks
South Korea’s National Office of Investigation has added 15 personnel, including digital forensic specialists, to its probe of recent cyberattacks targeting major financial companies.
South Korean police have expanded a special team investigating a recent series of cyberattacks against major financial institutions, adding personnel and digital forensic expertise as authorities seek to strengthen their response.
The National Office of Investigation said Friday that 15 people had been assigned to the existing 28-member team. The expansion brings the investigative group to 43 personnel and is intended to improve law enforcement’s ability to examine the attacks and trace how they were carried out.
The investigation covers cyber incidents involving several financial companies, including Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank. Police did not announce any conclusion about who was responsible in the latest statement, and the inquiry remains focused on establishing the path of the attacks.
Digital forensic specialists are among the newly assigned personnel. Their inclusion signals that technical analysis of electronic records and attack infrastructure will be a central part of the expanded inquiry. Investigators are also pursuing international cooperation, reflecting the cross-border challenges that can arise when attempting to identify the origin and route of malicious online activity.
The reinforcement follows a directive from President Lee Jae Myung earlier this week. Lee instructed the government to devote additional staff and resources to preventing cyberattacks and reducing the damage caused by the recent incidents. The police expansion is one of the first concrete personnel measures announced after that instruction.
The move puts greater investigative capacity behind a case involving institutions that handle sensitive financial and customer information. It also broadens the government response from immediate security checks and damage control toward a more intensive effort to reconstruct the attacks and identify those behind them.
Authorities have not disclosed a timetable for completing the probe or detailed the specific responsibilities of each member of the enlarged team. No findings on attribution were announced Friday. The National Office of Investigation’s next steps are expected to center on forensic examination, coordination with affected companies and cooperation with overseas counterparts where evidence or attack routes extend beyond South Korea.
With the team now expanded by more than half, the investigation has become a larger national law enforcement effort. Its outcome will be closely watched for evidence about how the attackers penetrated financial-sector systems and whether the inquiry leads to additional protective measures across the industry.