South Korean police say North Korean-backed Lazarus and Andariel hackers stole $41.5 million worth of Ethereum in 2019

officially confirmed that he stole it. While some of the stolen Ethereum was laundered by North Korea through exchanges, some of the stolen crypto assets detected in Switzerland were recovered.

The National Investigation Bureau of South Korea’s National Police Agency said the Lazarus and Andariel groups were behind the attacks in 2019. These hacker groups are known to be cybercrime networks backed by the North Korean government. During that time, around 342,000 Ethereum were stolen. Today, that amount is worth 1.47 trillion South Korean won (about $1.1 billion) when calculated at $3,130 (ETH).

The statement was the first time South Korea has officially acknowledged North Korea’s involvement in cryptocurrency theft. The United Nations and other countries have previously accused North Korea of ​​cryptocurrency theft. South Korean police said they tracked IP addresses and cryptocurrency movements to track the crimes, and also identified North Korean language features. Materials obtained with the help of the FBI also contributed to the investigation of the crime.

The majority of the stolen Ethereum was laundered through three cryptocurrency exchanges believed to be set up by North Korea. This Ethereum was sold for around $97,280 in Bitcoin (BTC), which is 2.5% below its market value. The remaining ETH was distributed and laundered across 51 different cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.

In 2020, some of the stolen cryptocurrencies were detected on a cryptocurrency exchange in Switzerland. As a result of a four-year investigation, the source was proven to the Swiss prosecutor's office and it was determined that there was stolen cryptocurrency on the exchange. Last month, 4.8 BTC was returned to the Upbit exchange. Its current value is calculated as approximately 600 million South Korean won (approximately $450,000).

South Korean police stressed that international cooperation is of great importance to prevent such attacks.