The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that North Korea attempted to hack into South Koreans’ smartphones this year, possibly infecting more than 20 thousand smartphones.
 
In a report submitted to the National Assembly on Wednesday, the NIS said the North spread malicious applications disguised as online game apps between May 19 and September 16.
 
The NIS said it worked with the websites' owners and the related government agencies to update computer vaccines, remove the applications and block relevant hacking channels.
 
While the NIS did not elaborate on the specific damage from the North's latest hackings, some pundits say the spy agency’s measures were more of a precautionary act.
 
The NIS said that there have been a total of 75-thousand-473 attempts to infiltrate the information and communication networks of the state and public organizations in the South between 2010 and September of this year.