In March 2019, a North Korean-affiliated hacking group infiltrated an online gaming network, causing the theft of digital currency valued up to $620 million. The South Korean government estimates that the damage amount is equivalent to the cost of 30 ballistic missiles launched in the first half of last year. Sky Mavis, located in Ho Chi Minh City, was the target this time. The renowned target game ‘Axie Infinity’ had recently skyrocketed in popularity across Southeast Asia after permitting gamers to generate cryptocurrency earnings through
Upon investigation from a security company, it was revealed that there had been a breach in the gateway which transferred and stored the cryptocurrency participants earned in the game. The details were labeled as confidential when both the Ho Chi Minh City police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation received them. Subsequently, the FBI found Lazarus and APT38 from North Korea.
The United Nations Security Council sanctions, plus a reduction in China-North Korea trade from COVID-19 outbreaks, did not hinder North Korea from frequently repeating missile launches as a reported result of ‘cyberthievery’.