NK 'strongly' suspected of masterminding cyber attacks

North Korea is strongly suspected of masterminding the massive hacking attack on the country's major TV stations and banks, a senior government official here said Thursday.

On Wednesday, broadcasters KBS, MBC and YTN along with Shinhan, Nonghyup and Jeju banks saw their computer networks entirely halted due to malicious code from unknown hackers, according to the companies and police.

"(The government) is closely analyzing the incident with all possibilities open, while bearing a strong suspicion that North Korea conducted the attack," said a high-ranking official of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

He declined to be identified and further elaborate.