South Korea’s spy agency has said that North Korea’s hacking attacks last year were carried out under orders by regime leader Kim Jong-un against targets based on present interests, and such operations will likely intensify this year ahead of the elections in South Korea and the U.S.

In a meeting with local reporters on Wednesday, an official from the National Intelligence Service(NIS) said Pyongyang concentrated attacks on Seoul's agricultural and fisheries agencies early last year when ordering a resolution to the regime's food shortage.

Between last August and September, the North hacked into the South's shipbuilding industry after Kim called for bolstered naval capabilities.

In October the same year, the North stole data on drone engines from relevant agencies in the South and overseas after its leader ordered increased drone production.

Verifying that the North has carried out cyber attacks against defense industries in at least 25 countries since 2020, including South Korea, the official said 25 percent of the attacks targeted the aviation sector.

Pyongyang, which in the past attacked banks and other large-sized financial institutions to steal virtual assets, has switched to targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and individual virtual asset holders in the wake of heightened security measures.

The NIS forecast that the North's hacking attacks on electoral systems or the online dissemination of false information will intensify this year as South Korea gears up for general elections in April and the U.S. holds a presidential election in November.

[Photo : YONHAP News]