South Korea considering new law to combat North Korea cyberattacks

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- South Korea is pushing for a new cybersecurity bill, days after Seoul's spy agency confirmed North Korean hackers stole files from the computers of South Korean lawmakers.

National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-jin told the National Assembly Steering Committee on Friday that new legislation is needed to combat North Korea cyberattacks, News 1 reported.

On Tuesday, the National Intelligence Service had said government audit data was stolen from three personal computers belonging to members of the National Assembly, and another 11 computers belonging to government aides were hacked. The hackings, and attempted cybertheft on computers in the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and the presidential Blue House took place in early October.

Seoul had earlier discussed cooperation between ministries but has yet to pass a law to combat the data breaches. The NIS, however, has an established policy against North Korea cybertheft under its National Cybersecurity Management Regulations. A draft bill is expected to be complete by the end of 2015, Kim said.

North Korea has denied involvement in the October cyberattacks on South Korean government computers, and condemned the NIS for releasing North Korean documents that instructed its agents to portray the August landmine explosions that critically injured two South Korean soldiers as a fabrication of the South Korean president.

North Korean media outlet Uriminzokkiri said the landmine explosions were a hoax designed to slander Pyongyang, and that investigations conducted under the U.N. Command showed that North Korea was not involved in the incident. South Korean news network YTN reported the NIS released on Tuesday what it calls evidence North Korea's Office 225 instructed North Korean agents to make the landmine explosions appear to be the work of the presidential Blue House.