While even the Seoul authorities announced yesterday that the hacking of broadcasting stations and banks was generated locally from Korea, there have been constant suspicions about North Korean involvement.
Amid such suspicions, Radio Free Asia _ based in t he United States _ cited a North Korean defector from the Kim Il Automation University as saying that he had information that hacking agents were dispatched to China and other overseas locations in the beginning of this month.
The informant reportedly said he maintains contacts with internal communications agents in North Korea and that Pyongyang has once again dispatched related personnel overseas on emergency missions.
He added that the personnel dispatched were provided with luxury accommodation facilities and presented and honorable medals to carry out their given tasks, the RFA report said.
It said the agents were given the freedom to travel freely while being disguised as company workers and researchers, also receiving $400 a month as allowance to maintain a stable livelihood.
The report said graduates of the leading North Korean university are capable of penetrating computer networks in the United States and that more and more students are being trained for missions with some 6,000 having graduated so far.