North Korean hackers allegedly breached the personal emails of a South Korean presidential staff member before President Yoon Suk Yeol's Europe trip in November. The breach affected only the personal account of the staff member, who had used commercial email services against security protocols for official duties. The stolen information wasn't specified, but the overall security system of Yoon's office remained intact.

Yoon's office detected the breach before his trip and took necessary actions, clarifying that their security system wasn't compromised. Despite ongoing hacking attempts presumed to be from North Korea, the presidential office remained secure.

During his visit to Britain and France in November, Yoon met with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Why does it matter?

North Korea operates a significant hacking program, allegedly using stolen funds, including cryptocurrency, to support its nuclear and missile programs, despite international sanctions. A UN report revealed investigations into 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023, estimated at$3 billion, funding weapons development. North Korea has denied involvement but has been linked to major cyberattacks in the past, including those against South Korean financial institutions in 2013, Sony Pictures in 2014, and the WannaCry malware attack in 2017.