South Korea checks whether AI was used in attacks on banks

South Korea’s National Police Agency has begun investigating a series of cyberattacks on financial companies, including South Korean Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, and Shinhan Bank, in which, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap News Agency, customer information was exposed.

Shinhan Bank said last week that personal credit data for about 25,000 people had been leaked. Hana Bank said data from 89 customers had been leaked, while KB Kookmin Bank reported 99 affected customers and 20 current or former employees.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said at a cabinet meeting broadcast live that there were “signs” that AI models were used in some of these attacks and that this was causing “significant public concern and anxiety”.

He instructed the cabinet to quickly and clearly determine exactly what happened and to deploy personnel and resources to minimize the damage. Authorities have not said who was behind the hacks.

South Korean authorities are still checking whether AI agents were actually used in the attacks. The case has heightened concerns that AI tools could make cyberattacks easier and more accessible to people without specialized skills.