Hyundai Group and Hyundai Motor Group, two of South Korea’s leading industrial giants, have made headlines due to bomb threats and cryptocurrency blackmail via email.
Threat messages sent to Hyundai Group and Hyundai Motor Group office buildings in Seoul claimed that they would blow up the buildings if 13 Bitcoin was not paid.
The threat included statements not only about targeting existing buildings, but also about moving explosives to Seoul’s Yangjae-dong district to carry out additional attacks. Following the incident, South Korean police were put on high alert.
Special operations teams and bomb disposal units were dispatched to the area, and extensive searches were conducted in the buildings. So far, no explosive devices have been found.
Authorities announced that some areas had been temporarily evacuated and entry and exit points were being controlled for the safety of employees. Police sources stated that digital evidence was being meticulously examined to determine the veracity of the threat and the source of the blackmail.
According to press reports, the Hyundai incident may be part of a recent wave of similar threats targeting large companies in South Korea. Leading technology and communications companies such as Samsung, KT, Kakao, and Naver have also reportedly recently received similar threatening emails.
Authorities emphasized that such incidents threaten public safety and announced a large-scale investigation to apprehend the suspects. Police urged the public and company employees to report suspicious activities immediately, and noted that international cooperation against cryptocurrency-based blackmail attempts is also on the agenda.
*This is not investment advice.
