Over 1.5 Million Cyberattacks Target Saemangeum Development Agency in Four Years

The Saemangeum Development Agency has been the target of over 1.5 million cyberattacks in the past four years, according to data submitted to the National Assembly by Kim Jong-yang, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party. The report indicates that from 2023 to July 2026, there were 1,518,607 attempted attacks on the agency. In 2026 alone, there were 116,908 attacks reported by July.

The number of detected cyberattacks varied significantly among different agencies. The Korea Construction Equipment Safety Management Agency reported 394,830 attacks from 2022 to August 2026, while the Administrative City Construction Agency detected 1,625 attempts from 2021 to September 2026. The Korea Aviation Safety Technology Institute recorded only nine detected attacks from 2022 to September 2026. However, all these agencies stated that they had successfully blocked hacking and data breach attempts, resulting in no actual damage.

The status of AI-assisted cyberattacks remains unclear. In response to inquiries about AI-related attacks, the Saemangeum Development Agency, the Happy City Agency, and the Korea Construction Equipment Safety Management Agency all reported zero incidents. This does not necessarily mean that no AI attacks occurred; rather, the agencies lack systems to identify such attacks, making it difficult to gather relevant statistics.

Lawmaker Kim pointed out, "The stark contrast in the number of detected hacking attempts among agencies under the same Ministry of Land suggests that the disparity is not due to fewer attacks but rather a lack of robust security systems to properly monitor them. More concerning is that no agency has established a system to respond to AI hacking threats."

He added, "AI hacking has already emerged as a realistic threat in the financial sector. Public agencies in the Ministry of Land, which handle critical national infrastructure information, must urgently establish AI-based detection and response systems."