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3.20 Cyber Terror

Date (as written)
2013-03
Year
2013
Country
Korea, Republic of
Actors (as written)
WHOis Team
Actor pages
WHOis Team
Tags (as written)
Finance Media Destruction
Dollar figures (as written)
8670억원에 이르는 피해가 발생한 것으로 추산됐다

Source entries (24)

lazarus.day

3.20 Cyber Terror · 2013-03
The “Whois Team” attacks against South Korean targets in March 2013 involved coordinated cyberattacks on banks and broadcasting companies, where systems were disrupted and in some cases rendered unusable, accompanied by website defacements and propaganda messages left by the attackers; the operation leveraged wiper-type malware designed to destroy data and disable machines, causing large-scale service outages (e.g., banking systems and media networks going offline simultaneously), and although the attacks appeared highly visible and targeted critical infrastructure—leading to classification as cyber-terrorism—analysis suggested the tools were relatively unsophisticated and attribution remained unclear, with uncertainty over whether it was a nation-state operation or hacktivist activity, highlighting an early example of destructive malware campaigns aimed at maximizing disruption rather than stealth or data theft.
https://lazarus.day/incidents/darkseoul/

CSIS Significant Cyber Incidents

CSIS entry 1080 · March 2013
South Korean television networks and banks were attacked with malware (designed to evade popular South Korean anti-virus software) thought to have originated in North Korea.
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2026-07/260706_Significant_Cyber_Events.pdf?VersionId=1Li2342elpx5OV3lnGEYyXXB_LRbGnPm

EuRepoC

Operation Dark Seoul 2013 part I · 20.03.2013
Two South Korean banks and television broadcasters experience disruption after "logic bomb" is (allegedly) placed by North Korea.
Sources cited by EuRepoC (8)
https://twitter.com/securityaffairs/status/1661438436912295936
https://twitter.com/securityaffairs/status/1661671109014564864
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1498
https://www.wired.com/2013/03/logic-bomb-south-korea-attack/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-cybersecurity-northkorea/for-north-koreas-cyber-army-long-term-target-may-be-telecoms-utility-grids-idUSKBN0JX0JW20141219
Show 3 more
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324136204578639540757695644
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/20/south-korea-under-cyber-attack
https://thediplomat.com/2022/10/the-future-of-south-korea-us-cyber-cooperation/

ThaiCERT Threat Group Cards

Operation “Ten Days of Rain” / ”DarkSeoul” · 2013-03
Operation “Ten Days of Rain” / ”DarkSeoul” Computer networks running three major South Korean banks and the country’s two largest broadcasters were paralyzed Wednesday in attacks that some experts suspected originated in North Korea, which has consistently threatened to cripple its far richer neighbor. The attacks, which left many South Koreans unable to withdraw money from A.T.M.’s and news broadcasting crews staring at blank computer screens, came as the North’s official Korean Central News Agency quoted the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, as threatening to destroy government installations in the South, along with American bases in the Pacific. Target: Three broadcasting stations and a bank in South Korea. Method: Infecting with viruses, stealing and wiping information. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/world/asia/south-korea-computer-network-crashes.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/world/asia/south-korea-computer-network-crashes.html

Dyadic Cyber Incident Dataset v2

Dark Seoul · 1/26/2013
Espionage portion of Operation Troy, RAT installed in SK media and bank networks
https://threatpost.com/tag/dark-seoul-apt/
https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/north-korean-apt-group-employed-rare-zero-day-attack/d/d-id/1331011

Dyadic Cyber Incident Dataset v2

Operation Troy · 3/20/2013
Wiper malware erases or corrupts data in SK banks and media networks
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2013/07/08/dissecting-operation-troy-cyberespionage-in-south-korea/
https://securingtomorrow.mcafee.com/other-blogs/executive-perspectives/operation-troy-openioc-release/

CFR Cyber Operations Tracker

Unresponsive computer networks in South Korea · May 2013
Threat actors compromised the computer networks of South Korean broadcasters and two banks, making them unresponsive.
https://www.cfr.org/cyber-operations/unresponsive-computer-networks-south-korea
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/20/south-korea-under-cyber-attack
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/world/asia/south-korea-computer-network-crashes.html?_r=0
http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/white-papers/wp-dissecting-operation-troy.pdf

Mendeley Data: Collection of DPRK state-sponsored threat actors' activities v2 (Lyu, Sungkyunkwan Univ.)

3.20 Cyber Terror · 2013-03
Reported: 2013-03; Victims: 3.20 Cyber Terror; Motivations: Destruction; Sectors: Finance Media; Countries: Korea, Republic of
https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/wwb2rzgfn7/2

Wikipedia (English), accessed 2026-10-06

DarkSeoul · March 20, 2013
The attacks continued on March 20, 2013, with DarkSeoul, a wiper attack that targeted three South Korean broadcast companies, financial institutes, and an ISP. At the time, two other groups going by the personas "NewRomanic Cyber Army Team and WhoIs Team", took credit for that attack but researchers did not know the Lazarus Group was behind it at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_Group

Wikipedia (English), accessed 2026-10-06

Attack on more than 30,000 PCs in South Korea (banks, broadcasters, presidential website)
Prior to the attack at Sony, North Korea was said to have attacked more than 30,000 PCs in South Korea affecting banks and broadcasting companies as well as the website of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_121

Wikipedia (English), accessed 2026-10-06

2013 South Korea cyberattack · 2013
2013 South Korea cyberattack
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_121

Wikipedia (English), accessed 2026-10-06

2013 South Korea cyberattack · 2013
2013 South Korea cyberattack, two major sets of cyberattacks on South Korean targets attributed to elements within North Korea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cyberattacks

CSIS, "North Korea's Cyber Operations: Strategy and Responses" (Dec 2015), Appendix

MBR wiper attack shut down 32,000 computers of banks (Nonghyup Bank, Shinhan Bank, Jeju Bank) and media agencies (YTN, KBS, MBC) · March 20, 2013
MBR wiper attack shut down 32,000 computers of banks (Nonghyup Bank, Shinhan Bank, Jeju Bank) and media agencies (YTN, KBS, MBC)
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/151216_Cha_NorthKoreasCyberOperations_Web.pdf

Seoul Shinmun (Yonhap) chronology: 북한의 국내 사이버 테러 일지 (2013-04-10)

KBS·MBC·YTN 등 언론사와 신한은행, 농협 등 금융기관의 전산망이 동시다발적으로 마비. · 2013.3.20
▲2013.3.20 = KBS·MBC·YTN 등 언론사와 신한은행, 농협 등 금융기관의 전산망이 동시다발적으로 마비.
https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/politics/2013/04/10/20130410800097

Seoul Shinmun (Yonhap) chronology: 북한발 역대 주요 사이버테러 일지 (2016-06-13)

KBS·MBC·YTN·농협·신한은행 등 주요 방송·금융기관 전산망에 동시다발로 악성코드가 유포돼, 서버·PC·ATM 등 총 48,748대가 피해. · 2013.3.20
▲ 2013.3.20 = KBS·MBC·YTN·농협·신한은행 등 주요 방송·금융기관 전산망에 동시다발로 악성코드가 유포돼, 서버·PC·ATM 등 총 48,748대가 피해.
https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/politics/north/2016/06/13/20160613800145

FBI press release "Update on Sony Investigation" (2014-12-19; via Wayback)

Attack on South Korean banks and media outlets (similar tools to SPE attack) · March of last year (2013)
Separately, the tools used in the SPE attack have similarities to a cyber attack in March of last year against South Korean banks and media outlets, which was carried out by North Korea.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/update-on-sony-investigation

US Treasury press release jy1498 (May 23, 2023)

DarkSeoul campaign · In 2013
In 2013, the 110th Research Center conducted the campaign known as DarkSeoul, which destroyed thousands of financial sector systems and resulted in outages at the top three media companies in the ROK.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1498

ESTsecurity 알약 블로그 (blog.alyac.co.kr)

3.20 사이버테러 2주년, 보안을 대하는 우리들의 자세는? · 2015-03-19
summary: 3.20 사이버테러 2주년, 보안을 대하는 우리들의 자세는? 최근 정부는 사이버위기 경보를 '정상'에서 '관심'으로 격상시켰습니다. 알약과 같은 보안 기업도 기업 및 개인 사용자를 향한 사이버 위협에 신속히 대응하기 위해 예의주시하고 있습니다. 이는 3.20 사이버테러의 2주년이 다가오고, 얼마전 종료된 키리졸브 연합훈련 이슈 등 사이버보안에 위협이 될만한 민감한 이슈가 지속적으로 발생하고 있기 때문입니다. '3.20 사이버테러'란? 그리고 그 영향력... 3.20 사이버테러란 2013년 3월 20일 오후 2시를 기점으로, 국내 주요 언론사 및 금융권 전산망이 마비된 사건입니다. '3.20 전산 대란' 또는 '3.20 전산망 마비 사태'라고 불리기도 합니다. ※ 사이버테러리즘(cyberterrorism,.. | attribution sentence: 출처 : 위키백과 이 사건은 조사결과 북한 정찰총국의 소행으로 확인되었습니다.
https://blog.alyac.co.kr/281

VOA 한국어

3.20 사이버테러 (방송사·은행 6개 기관) · 2013-04-10
지난 달 20일 발생한 한국의 주요 방송사와 은행에 대한 해킹 공격은 북한의 소행인 것으로 드러났습니다. ... 지난 달 20일 발생한 한국의 주요 방송사와 은행 등 6개 기관의 인터넷 홈페이지와 전산망에 대한 해킹 공격. 한국 민관군 합동조사팀은 해킹의 접속 경로와 악성코드의 특성을 분석한 결과, 북한의 소행으로 결론 내렸다고 밝혔습니다.
https://www.voakorea.com/a/1638462.html

전자신문 (etnews) [이슈분석] 7·7 디도스, 6·25 사이버테러, 한수원 해킹심리전...홀수 해 반복되는 사이버도발 (2017-02-21)

3·20 사이버 테러 · 2013년
금융사와 방송사 6곳을 공격한 `3·20 사이버 테러`에 이어 ... 3·20 사이버 테러는 중앙관리서버 관리의 취약점이 공격에 악용됐다. 업무용 PC와 서버 4만8800여대가 파괴됐다. 8670억원에 이르는 피해가 발생한 것으로 추산됐다.
https://www.etnews.com/20170221000305

과학기술정보통신부 보도자료 (msit.go.kr)

民官軍 합동대응팀, `3.20 사이버테러` 중간 조사결과 발표 · 2013-04-10
북한의 과거 해킹수법과 일치하는 증거 발견 | 피해社 감염장비 및 국내 공격경유지 등에서 수집한 악성코드 76종 (파괴용 9, 사전 침투․감시용 67)과 수년간 국정원과 軍에 축척된 북한의 對南해킹 조사결과를 종합 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. | o 또 한, 공 격 에사 용 된컴 퓨 터인 터 넷 주 소및 해 킹 수 법 등 을분석한 결과, 과거 7.7 DDoS 등과 같이 북한 소행으로 추정되는 증거를 상당량 확보하였다.
https://www.msit.go.kr/bbs/view.do?sCode=user&mId=307&mPid=208&bbsSeqNo=94&nttSeqNo=1212111

Edaily 이데일리 (edaily.co.kr)

정부 "3·20 해킹, 북한 정찰총국 소행" · 2013-04-10
attribution sentence(s): [이데일리 김현아 기자]지난달 20일 방송사 3곳과 은행 등을 공격했던 해킹 사태는 북한 정찰총국의 소행이라고 정부 관계자가 확인했다. | 정부 관계자는 10일 3.20 해킹 사건 중간 발표를 앞두고 “지난 해킹의 접속 경로와 악성 코드의 특성을 분석한 결과 북한 정찰총국의 소행으로 드러났다”고 밝혔다. | 북한 정찰총국은 지금까지 수십 종의 악성코드를 유포한 전력이 있고 이 가운데 일부를 이번 공격에 재활용한 것으로 나타났다.
https://edaily.co.kr/News/Read?mediaCodeNo=257&newsId=01869606602774808

Seoul Shinmun 서울신문 (seoul.co.kr)

“3·20 사이버테러 北 IP서 직접 접속” · 2013-04-11
attribution sentence(s): 지난달 20일 KBS·MBC·YTN 등 방송사와 농협·신한·제주은행·NH생명보험·NH손해보험 등 금융기관의 내부 전산망 마비 사태를 일으킨 ‘3·20 사이버테러’는 북한의 소행이라는 공식 조사결과가 나왔다. | 정부는 이번 공격이 북한 정찰총국의 소행일 가능성이 큰 것으로 보고 있다. | 민·관·군 사이버위협 합동대응팀은 10일 과천 미래창조과학부 브리핑실에서 “피해기관의 감염장비 및 국내 공격 경유지 등에서 수집한 악성코드 76종과 수년간 국가정보원과 군에서 축적한 북한의 대남 해킹 조사결과를 종합적으로 반영해 이렇게 추정했다”고 밝혔다.
https://www.seoul.co.kr/news/society/2013/04/11/20130411001009

Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) report, 22 Oct 2025

DarkSeoul · 2013
(MSMT/2025/2, report p. 16) “Andariel is responsible for the 2013 DarkSeoul incident that severely disrupted broadcast media and banking computer networks in the ROK. Andariel has also used ransomware to attack the healthcare sector, including against U.S. hospitals.”
https://github.com/tayvano/lazarus-bluenoroff-research/blob/main/pdfs/2025-10-22_MSMT-Report.pdf

Suggest a correction on GitHub