North Korea Hacks Secret US-South Korean War Plans

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 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is pictured during a test-fire of strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang August 25, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA

By: Ryan Pickrell

North Korean hackers allegedly gained access to secret allied war plans for a conflict on the peninsula.

A South Korean investigation into a security breach last year revealed North Korean hackers accessed parts of Operations Plan (OPLAN) 5027, the Chosun Ilbo reports, citing South Korean defense sources.

The South Korean defense ministry discovered that malware believed to be of North Korean origin had infected thousands of computers inside the military’s cyber command, including the defense minister’s computer. The malware reportedly compromised the Defense Integrated Data Center, where South Korea’s defense information is stored. The defense ministry initially reported that the hackers accessed “some military information, including sensitive information;” however, officials tried to downplay the hack, claiming the impact was limited.

It appears the North may have made off with critical operations plans for an war against North Korea. OPLAN 5027 was first drafted in 1978, and the plan was updated regularly to address changes in North Korean capabilities and warfare.