South Korea arrests seven in AI-assisted hacking of about 90 organizations

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on October 26, 2026 that it had apprehended seven suspects who allegedly used generative AI to hack about 90 organizations in South Korea between September 2025 and October 2026, including hospitals, golf courses, universities, private academies and subsidiaries of major conglomerates. Police say the group stole 8.2 million records, including personal information and internal corporate documents, and described the case as South Korea's first arrests in a large-scale AI-assisted hacking case. The alleged ringleader, a 32-year-old self-taught coder with no information technology background, was referred to prosecutors while in custody on Friday, October 23, and the other six suspects remain under investigation.

Police say the group's pace accelerated sharply after the ringleader began making full use of generative AI in August 2026, using an AI coding agent and an autonomous AI penetration testing system to breach 60 companies in just over 40 days. The group allegedly threatened 38 organizations with leaks unless they paid, demanding a combined 360 million won, and accomplices recruited through Telegram made calls and sent texts to pressure employees at the targeted organizations. Police say they have recovered all stolen records containing personal information, and the investigation, opened in June 2026 after a complaint from one affected organization, is continuing to identify additional victims.

Sources: Korea JoongAng Daily; Seoul Economic Daily