Ex-N.Korean hacking agent defected to Seoul, source says

South Korea has secured a former agent of North Korea’s military computer hacking unit, authorities in Seoul said Wednesday.

In December last year, the government secured a member of North Korea’s hacking unit who was working in a Southeast Asian country, and brought him to South Korea. He used an alias with the last name Kim, but his real surname is Lee. He disguised himself as an employee at a North Korean restaurant in the Southeast Asian country.

After confirming Lee’s identity, Seoul reportedly staged an undercover operation to facilitate his arrival at Incheon International Airport in the form of a transit passenger. An informed source said, “We understand that U.S. intelligence also made a lot of effort to grant him asylum in America to find out more about Pyongyang’s cyber spying operations. I also understand that a light war of nerves was fought between South Korean and U.S. authorities.”

Lee is undergoing investigation under the protection of South Korean authorities. According to the authorities, he was a hacker affiliated with the technology or operation bureau of North Korean intelligence, which directly receives instruction from the powerful National Defense Commission. A South Korean government source said, “Through Lee, we will gain crucial support in analyzing the reality behind North Korea’s cyberattack and coping with the threat.”

shcho@donga.com