[INTERVIEW] Fines won't fix problem: Korea needs new playbook as AI changes hacking paradigm

Lim Jong-in, chair of Soongsil University’s AI committee, called Thursday for a presidential office-led task force to coordinate Korea’s response to suspected AI-assisted cyberattacks. He said fines and stricter regulations alone would not address threats that companies cannot manage on their own. Lim proposed a Korean open security platform based on cognitive zero-trust architecture, while cautioning against conclusions about who was behind the attacks. He said AI agents can evade conventional investigative techniques.

The proposed task force would bring together the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

Cognitive zero-trust architecture would use AI to assess user behavior and emerging threats continuously, flag suspicious activity, and adjust access privileges in real time.

Daishin Securities, Bithumb and Mirae Asset Global Investments reported hacking incidents on Wednesday, following incidents involving 16 financial firms earlier in the month.

Virtual asset exchange Prabang reported losses of 100 million won ($75,000) on Thursday, the first reported actual asset losses in the recent hacking spree.

Financial authorities detected large-scale scanning attempts targeting financial systems from IP address ranges associated with North Korea for the first time, but Lim said proxy IP addresses can conceal attackers’ origins.

Published Oct 29, 2026 4:04 pm KST

Updated Oct 29, 2026 4:11 pm KST

Former presidential cybersecurity adviser calls for government-led defense system

Lim Jong-in, chair of artificial intelligence committee at Soongsil University, speaks during a roundtable event hosted by The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Fines and stricter regulations are no panacea for a growing wave of suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted cyberattacks targeting Korea's financial sector, a cybersecurity expert said Thursday, calling for a government task force to overhaul the country’s cybersecurity defenses.

"Humans simply cannot keep up with AI agents' hacking threats. The entire paradigm of cybersecurity has changed, requiring both the government and the private sector to rethink how they defend against cyberattacks," Lim Jong-in, chair of the AI committee at Soongsil University, said in a phone interview with The Korea Times.

Lim, a former presidential special adviser on cybersecurity, called for the launch of a presidential office-led task force to coordinate responses to AI-driven threats, warning that such attacks will become more sophisticated.

His warning comes as suspected AI-assisted cyberattacks ripple through Korea's financial sector, spreading from commercial banks to brokerages and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Brokerage firm Daishin Securities, cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb and asset manager Mirae Asset Global Investments were the latest to report hacking incidents on Wednesday, adding to a string of similar cases involving 16 financial firms earlier this month.

Virtual asset exchange Prabang on Thursday reported losses of 100 million won ($75,000) in a hacking incident, marking the first reported case of actual asset losses amid the recent hacking spree.

"This may only be the beginning," Lim warned. "The threat extends well beyond the financial sector. If major companies in strategic industries such as semiconductors fall victim to cyberattacks, the fallout could spread across the broader economy."

The expert argued that imposing fines on companies after a breach occurs would do little to address the underlying problem.

While tougher penalties may pressure companies to strengthen their security, companies cannot be expected to fend off increasingly sophisticated AI-driven attacks on their own.

Bithumb Lounge in Seocho District, Seoul, Wednesday / Yonhap

"Companies that suffer hacking attacks are victims, too. Simply increasing fines will not solve the problem," Lim said, noting that companies vary widely in their cybersecurity capabilities and budgets.

He urged the government to swiftly develop and roll out a homegrown open security platform, proposing a task force led by the presidential office to develop a Korean version of a cognitive zero-trust architecture (CZTA).

The task force would bring together agencies including the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

The CZTA would use AI to continuously assess user behavior and emerging threats, flag suspicious activity and adjust access privileges in real time, following the principle of "never trust, always verify."

Financial authorities have detected large-scale scanning attempts targeting financial systems from IP address ranges associated with North Korea for the first time. Lim cautioned, however, against jumping to conclusions about who was behind the activity, noting that attackers can use proxy IP addresses to conceal their origins.

"Investigating who is behind the attacks is necessary, but for now, we need to focus more on preventing them," he said.

Regarding the ongoing police investigation into the hacking incidents, the security expert said identifying the perpetrators is becoming increasingly difficult because AI agents can evade conventional investigative techniques.

"AI agents leave almost no traces. They know the investigative methods we have used so far, making it nearly impossible to track them down using conventional techniques," Lim said.

崇实大学人工智能委员会主席林钟仁周四呼吁成立一个由总统府牵头的特别工作组，协调韩国应对疑似人工智能辅助网络攻击。他表示，仅靠罚款和更严格的监管无法解决企业自身无法应对的威胁。林钟仁提议建立一个基于认知零信任架构的韩国开放式安全平台，同时告诫人们不要妄下断言攻击背后的黑手。他指出，人工智能代理可以规避传统的调查手段。

拟议的特别工作组将由国家情报局、科学技术信息通信部和产业通商资源部组成。

认知型零信任架构将利用人工智能持续评估用户行为和新出现的威胁，标记可疑活动，并实时调整访问权限。

继本月早些时候16家金融公司遭遇黑客攻击事件后，大真证券、Bithumb和未来资产环球投资公司周三报告了黑客攻击事件。

虚拟资产交易所 Prabang 周四报告损失 1 亿韩元（7.5 万美元），这是近期黑客攻击浪潮中首次报告的实际资产损失。

金融监管机构首次发现来自与朝鲜相关的 IP 地址范围的大规模扫描尝试，目标是金融系统。但林表示，代理 IP 地址可以隐藏攻击者的来源。

发布于2026年10月29日下午4:04（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月29日下午4:11（韩国标准时间）

前总统网络安全顾问呼吁建立政府主导的防御系统

崇实大学人工智能委员会主席林钟仁周三在《韩国时报》首尔办公室举行的圆桌会议上发表讲话。（《韩国时报》沈贤哲摄）

一位网络安全专家周四表示，罚款和更严格的监管并不能解决针对韩国金融业日益增多的疑似人工智能 (AI) 辅助网络攻击问题，他呼吁政府成立一个特别工作组来彻底改革该国的网络安全防御体系。

“人类根本无法应对人工智能代理发起的黑客攻击威胁。整个网络安全的范式已经改变，政府和私营部门都需要重新思考如何防御网络攻击，”崇实大学人工智能委员会主席林钟仁在接受《韩国时报》电话采访时表示。

曾任总统网络安全特别顾问的林呼吁成立一个由总统府牵头的特别工作组，协调应对人工智能驱动的威胁，并警告说此类攻击将变得更加复杂。

他的警告发出之际，疑似人工智能辅助的网络攻击正在韩国金融领域蔓延，从商业银行到经纪公司和加密货币交易所，波及范围不断扩大。

周三，证券公司大真证券、加密货币交易所 Bithumb 和资产管理公司未来资产环球投资等公司相继报告了黑客攻击事件，此前本月早些时候已有 16 家金融公司遭遇类似事件。

虚拟资产交易所 Prabang 周四报告称，在一次黑客攻击事件中损失了 1 亿韩元（7.5 万美元），这是近期黑客攻击浪潮中首例报告的实际资产损失案例。

林警告说：“这可能只是个开始。威胁远不止于金融领域。如果半导体等战略行业的巨头企业遭受网络攻击，其影响可能会蔓延至整个经济领域。”

专家认为，在违规行为发生后对公司处以罚款，对解决根本问题几乎没有任何帮助。

虽然更严厉的处罚可能会迫使企业加强安全措施，但不能指望企业独自抵御日益复杂的人工智能驱动的攻击。

首尔瑞草区Bithumb Lounge酒吧，周三 / 韩联社

林表示：“遭受黑客攻击的公司也是受害者。仅仅提高罚款并不能解决问题。”他还指出，各公司的网络安全能力和预算差异很大。

他敦促政府迅速开发和推出本土开放安全平台，并提议成立一个由总统府领导的特别工作组，开发韩国版的认知零信任架构（CZTA）。

该特别工作组将汇集国家情报局、科学技术信息通信部和贸易、工业及资源部等机构。

CZTA 将利用人工智能持续评估用户行为和新出现的威胁，标记可疑活动并实时调整访问权限，遵循“永不信任，始终核实”的原则。

金融监管机构首次检测到来自与朝鲜相关的IP地址段的大规模扫描攻击，目标直指金融系统。然而，林提醒不要妄下结论，因为攻击者可以使用代理IP地址来隐藏其真实来源。

他说：“调查幕后黑手是必要的，但目前我们更需要关注的是预防袭击。”

关于警方正在进行的黑客事件调查，这位安全专家表示，由于人工智能代理可以规避传统的调查技术，因此识别肇事者变得越来越困难。

林说：“人工智能代理几乎不留下任何痕迹。它们了解我们迄今为止使用的调查方法，因此几乎不可能用传统技术追踪到它们。”