South Korean president orders thorough investigation into bank hacking attack

South Korea's president has called for a thorough investigation into a cyberattack on Shinhan Bank, after hackers reportedly used advanced artificial intelligence tools to breach the lender's systems and compromise the personal information of roughly 25,000 customers.

According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the attackers employed sophisticated AI-assisted techniques to penetrate Shinhan Bank's security systems, exposing sensitive customer data in one of the more significant cybersecurity incidents to hit the country's banking sector in recent years.

The president's call for a comprehensive probe underscores growing concern in South Korea over the use of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, as attackers increasingly adopt AI tools to automate and enhance the sophistication of hacking operations.

Banking sector on alert

Shinhan Bank, one of South Korea's largest financial institutions, has not detailed the exact nature of the breach or specified what categories of customer data were exposed. South Korean financial regulators are expected to examine the bank's cybersecurity protocols as part of the investigation.

The incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of how South Korean financial institutions defend against increasingly AI-enabled cyber threats, with authorities expected to review broader industry safeguards following the breach.

No further details were immediately available on the identity of the attackers or whether any funds were stolen in connection with the breach. Shinhan Bank has not yet issued a public statement on remediation steps for affected customers.