Hacker Leaks S. Korea Nuke Plant Blueprints

Energy // Government (Foreign) // Seoul, South Korea

On Twitter, the perpetrator revealed the designs and manuals of Gori-2 and Wolsong-1 nuclear reactors taken from the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.

The information included, among other things, details on the facilities’ air condition and cooling systems.

The hacker signed the posting as president of the anti-nuclear group in Hawaii.

This was the fourth such posting since Dec. 15. The KHNP insists the data leaked does not pertain to core technologies and does not undermine the safety and security of the reactors.

 “If I don’t see the reactors being closed on Christmas, I have no choice but to go public with all of the data and go ahead with second round of destruction,” the hacker said.

“I can open to the world 100,000 pages of data that have not yet been revealed,” the hacker said in the posting. “You say this isn’t confidential material. Let’s see if you will take responsibility if the information on blueprints, systems and programs are all disclosed to the countries that want them.”

This episode is heightening fears that hackers, including those with possible North Korean links, could shift their focus to key infrastructure, the Guardian reports.

“The latest attack resulted in the leak of personal details of 10,000 KHNP workers, designs and manuals for at least two reactors, electricity flow charts and estimates of radiation exposure among local residents. There was no evidence, however, that the nuclear control systems had been hacked,” according to the UK newspaper

Government officials confirmed the leaked information appeared to be authentic.

Nuclear officials also tried to tamp concerns: “It is 100% impossible that a hacker can stop nuclear power plants by attacking them because the control monitoring system is totally independent and closed.”