N.Korea 'Hacked Senior S.Korean Officials' Smartphones'

North Korea has hacked the smartphones of senior government and other officials in South Korea, the National Intelligence Service here said on Monday.

The North also attempted cyber attacks on South Korean railways and other infrastructure.

The NIS made the announcement in a press release. The government is on alert for further cyber attacks, which in the past have tended to follow nuclear and rocket tests.

As part of these efforts, all the subway lines in Seoul have beefed up their network security.

The NIS warned that North Korea is likelier than ever to carry out further hacking attacks after the international community tightened sanctions last week.

Meanwhile, the NIS reported to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee in August of last year that North Korean operatives attempted to hack the smartphones of some 1,000 "important figures," according to a committee member.