# Cyberattack surges against South Korean institutions

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/cyberattack-surges-against-south-korean-institutions
> Updated: 2026-10-04T01:15:35.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

South Korean government and judicial institutions have experienced a significant surge in cyberattacks. In the health sector, hacking attempts against the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) rose sharply, with total attempts across five major health and welfare institutions increasing by 608.5% from 2022 to 2024. Most of these attempts were aimed at information theft or collection, with unauthorized access originating from the United States, China, Germany, and India.

Parallel to these developments, the South Korean court network saw a massive increase in activity. Between January and August, the court's security systems detected 239,145 hacking attempts, a 2.4-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023. Monthly data indicates that March experienced the highest volume of attacks, reaching 48,263 attempts, following a period where monthly attempts typically remained below 20,000.

Concerns persist regarding the National Court Administration’s management. A 1 billion won security budget intended for equipment went entirely unused due to procurement delays. Additionally, accountability remains a point of contention following a previous breach linked to North Korean hacking groups that leaked approximately 1,014 GB of data. Internal audits regarding that incident resulted in no disciplinary actions for the ten officials under investigation, with most receiving only warnings or being cleared of wrongdoing.

## Claims

- Hacking attempts targeting the South Korean court network reached 239,145 cases between January and August this year. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The number of hacking attempts from January to August is approximately 2.4 times higher than the same period last year. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- March recorded the highest number of hacking attempts with 48,263 cases. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Court Administration failed to utilize a 1 billion won security equipment budget due to delayed procurement processes. (single source)
- Between June 2021 and January 2023, hacking incidents resulted in the leak of personal information belonging to approximately 18,000 individuals. (single source)
- The Supreme Court's ethics audit resulted in no disciplinary actions for the 10 officials involved in a major data leak caused by North Korean hackers. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-04: South Korean court network hacking attempts surge to 240,000

Hacking attempts against South Korea's court network surged to 239,145 cases from January to August, a 2.4-fold increase over last year, amid criticisms of budget mismanagement and lack of official discipline.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-court-network-hacking-attempts-surge-to-240000

### 2026-09-07: South Korean health agencies face surge in hacking attempts

Hacking attempts against South Korean health agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, have surged, with KDCA seeing a 1,200-fold increase in attempts compared to 2022.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-health-agencies-face-surge-in-hacking-attempts

---
Cite as: Cyberattack surges against South Korean institutions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/cyberattack-surges-against-south-korean-institutions