Presidential itinerary hacked by North Korea

In a shocking development, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s overseas itinerary has fallen into the hands of North Korean hackers. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) discovered that a presidential office staffer’s personal email account had been hacked by North Korea shortly before the presidential couple’s visit to the United Kingdom and France last November.

Thankfully, the visit went smoothly. But the president could have fallen under serious threat had the discovery not been made in advance, as the hacked account contained details of his itinerary.

It marks the first time North Korea has successfully hacked an aid to the president. The presidential office said the official had used both his office and personal email accounts in arranging the trip schedule, and his personal account was breached by suspected North Korean hackers. Although the office stressed that presidential office’s email system had not been compromised, it must not underestimate the gravity of the case.

A member of the presidential office using a personal email address instead of the tightly protected presidential office account for official work raises serious concerns — and it is unflattering to the security practices of the presidential office. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was probed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for her use of a private email account. Calls for higher security intensified after reports of the Central Intelligence Agency’s spying on Yoon’s presidential office last year. But the latest incident suggests that Seoul has not learned anything from the past.

The latest case also underscores the advance in North Korea’s cyber hacking capabilities. Naver email accounts could number tens of millions as one person can create up to three. If North Korea was able to locate the specific staffer in charge of arranging the president’s overseas trip, much of our confidential information could be vulnerable.

As many as 162,000 hacking attempts on the public sector took place per day last year, according to the NIS. North Korea is suspected to be behind 80 percent of them. That scope will widen during emergencies and wartime. The government must bolster investments in cybersecurity and public sector training.

The NIS is under renewed scrutiny. Much of the counterintelligence against pro-North activities was transferred to the police at the beginning of this year. Although the spy agency retains some authority over cybersecurity, the separation of cybersecurity and counterespionage against North Korea cannot be normal. If the latest hacking was intended to wage a terror on the president, police alone cannot handle such contingency. It is time to adjust who has authority over counterespionage.