South Korean financial firms report new cyberattacks

South Korean financial firms have reported a fresh wave of cyberattacks, including incidents at Daishin Securities, Mirae Asset Global Investments and cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb. Officials have not established whether the incidents are connected.

Daishin said an attack exposed personal information belonging to 38,490 customers, including names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers, according to local news reports. The company said it had notified affected customers, was cooperating with authorities and would compensate for losses as required by law.

Mirae Asset and Bithumb reported separate cybersecurity incidents on Wednesday, local media reported. Neither company has confirmed that customer data was taken. South Korea’s financial regulator has called for stronger cybersecurity measures after attacks on financial firms and government agencies, officials in Seoul said Wednesday. The country also plans security checks on dozens of private-sector IT systems.

The reports follow a wave of attacks targeting South Korean financial institutions roughly a month earlier. Security researchers linked that September wave to a suspected China-based hacker who used an AI penetration-testing tool called Artex. Officials are still investigating the cause of the latest breaches. Investigators have not established a connection between the South Korean incidents and a cybersecurity incident involving Japan’s GMO Internet, reported the previous day.