Seoul, South Korea – South Korean authorities have launched an investigation into a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that targeted government websites, including those of the judiciary.   

The National Police Agency's Cyber Bureau announced on Monday that it is working closely with the National Intelligence Service and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) to investigate these cyberattacks.

"We have collected log records and other evidence from various government agencies and are currently analyzing the data," said an official from the Cyber Bureau. "While we have not yet confirmed any data breaches, we are considering the possibility of attacks by Russian hacking groups."

The official added that the investigation may take some time due to the technical nature of the attacks and the need for international cooperation to trace the origin of the attacks.

On Friday, multiple government websites, including those of the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, were hit by DDoS attacks, causing service disruptions. The Ministry of Science and ICT has attributed these attacks to a pro-Russian hacking group.   

The courts' website also experienced a DDoS attack on Friday afternoon, which lasted for several hours. The Supreme Court's Court Administration Office said that they had implemented countermeasures to mitigate the attack and that the situation had returned to normal by Saturday evening.

In May of this year, a massive data breach was discovered in the court's computer system, with North Korea's Lazarus hacking group suspected of being behind the attack. Approximately 1,014 gigabytes of personal data were compromised in that incident.

The recent spate of cyberattacks highlights the increasing sophistication and frequency of cyber threats facing South Korea. Authorities are urging government agencies and the public to remain vigilant and take steps to protect their systems from cyberattacks.   

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