Hacker title may benefit N. Korea

By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea has remained silent over recent allegations of it being the source of the March 20 cyber attacks on key computer networks of television stations and certain banks here.

Known for its verbal salvoes, it has hardly shown any interest in responding to the accusations.

The government’s investigation team initially announced that the malicious viral codes were traced to China from where previous cyber attacks by Pyongyang were launched. But the team later backtracked from its initial announcement, this time citing domestic sources as the origin of the hacking. The team Monday included the United States and three unnamed European countries as some of the sources of the malicious codes.

The announcement came days after most local newspapers reported that the North conducted the attack.

The North has so far ignored these reports, in contrast to the Stalinist state’s tendency to vigorously contest anything to do with inter-Korea issues such as the joint ROK-US military exercises or United Nations sanctions.

Analysts say the North does not feel the need to clarify whether or not it was actually behind this recent cyber attack because it has nothing to lose from being quiet.

“It is not clear yet that the North was involved, but if so, it might think it can probably gain more if it gives no response rather than refuting it. As it might necessarily lead people to acknowledge their IT prowess,” said Kim Heung-kwang, a former professor in the North and representative of the group North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity.

Kim added that silence could be a form of psychological warfare, capitalizing on the tactic that an unknown enemy poses a greater threat because of the atmosphere of perceived terror that it can unleash.

Park Young-ho, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), also said, “Hackers are more threatening when they are not identified because they can naturally conduct further attacks anonymously.”

He said the North does not need to say whether or not it carried out the cyber attacks because its goal of stirring social unrest in the South has already been accomplished.

“By showing no reaction, they can avoid responsibility,” Park said.

The North’s unusual silence over the hacking issue is nothing new.

When Seoul officially announced that North Korea was responsible for the Nonghyup hacking in 2011 as well as a cyber attack against a leading local daily the Joongang Ilbo in 2012, it did not respond to the accusations.

Likewise, when President Park Geun-hye’s transition team mistakenly claimed the North hacked computers of the press room at the team’s office last January, the communist state simply kept silent about the matter.

Analysts say this is in stark contrast to similar accusations made against the North such as the sinking of the naval ship Cheonan. “When the South’s investigation team blamed the North for the torpedo attack, it fiercely protested and asked to dispatch its own investigation team to the South. But, over the cyber attacks, they might intend to leave the incidents to speculation by giving no response,” Park of KINU said.