Google: North Korean hackers used the Seoul tragedy to spread malware.

 The Threat Analysis team at Google discovered that North Korean government-supported hackers propagated malware in South Korea by making allusions to the tragic Halloween crush in Seoul. A Microsoft Office document that was disguised to look like a government report on the disaster included the malware. Tens of thousands of young partygoers were jammed into tiny alleyways, where they caused over 150 fatalities.

The Threat Analysis Group highlighted that "this incident was extensively covered in the media" and that "the lure takes advantage of the tragedy's widespread public interest."

APT37, a North Korean hacking outfit that seeks to compromise South Korean users, North Korean defectors, decision-makers, journalists, and human rights activists, carried out the activities, according to Google's investigation.

On October 31, it informed Microsoft of the problem after getting numerous reports from South Korean clients. Microsoft provided a fix on November 8. Google also noted that despite learning that the malware took advantage of an Internet Explorer bug, it still needs to be determined what the malware's final objective is.

A United Nations panel of experts overseeing sanctions on the country has accused North Korea of using stolen funds gained through hacking to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

North Korea has refuted accusations of hacking but does not respond to demands for response from the media.

On Thursday, government representatives warned South Korean businesses against hiring IT specialists from North Korea.

In May, the United States issued a similar caution, alleging that irate North Korean freelancers were leveraging the internet's anonymity to generate income for Pyongyang.