7,000 Cyber Criminals Nabbed

Some 7,090 people were caught and 81 arrested for cyber crimes, including operating gambling sites, distributing pornography and instigating cyber terror, the National Police Agency said Tuesday.

The National Police Agency's Cyber Terror Response Center said Tuesday the number includes around 1,000 people such as programmers who developed gambling programs. Some 54 were arrested and around 1,800 were fined for gambling.

The arrests were part of a four-month crackdown on cyber crimes committed using personal computers and smartphones. "Criminals are turning to cyberspace as more and more Koreans use the Internet and smartphones to deal with everyday financial transactions and entertainment," said Lee Young-sang, the head of the center.