{
  "id": 12400999,
  "title": "South Korea Says AI Helped Hackers Break Into Banks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/south-korea-says-ai-helped-hackers-break-into-banks",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-06T14:48:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PYMNTS",
    "slug": "pymnts",
    "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/south-korea-says-ai-helped-hackers-break-into-banks/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea has revealed evidence of artificial intelligence involvement in recent cyberattacks on banks, causing significant public concern, according to the Financial Times (FT). President Lee Jae Myung announced on October 6 that seven financial firms had suffered data breaches, with indications of AI usage in some incidents. The hackers targeted less secure systems used by third parties, rather than the banks' primary payment networks. In one instance, a hacker circumvented identity checks on a loan broker portal, exposing personal information of approximately 25,000 customers of Shinhan Bank. Although no money was reported stolen, one official described the situation as \"a completely new kind of crisis.\" The FT quoted Moon Jong-hyun, head of Genians Security Center, who stated that the Chinese-language, open-source tool Artex, which uses AI to identify and test vulnerabilities, may have been employed in some attacks. Artex has been likened to a kitchen knife that could be used for both cooking and criminal activities. PYMNTS argued that AI is not creating a new problem for cybersecurity professionals but rather industrializing an existing one. Finding vulnerabilities traditionally required human labor, but AI can now perform or accelerate portions of that work, potentially leading to vulnerabilities being discovered at a fraction of the historical cost. Enterprises may face a significant asymmetry between their investments in complex technology estates and the ability of a skilled individual to exploit them using AI tools.",
  "summary": "South Korea has reportedly seen evidence of artificial intelligence involvement in recent cyberattacks on banks. As the Financial Times (FT) reported, President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday (Oct. 6) that hacks had revealed user data at seven financial firms, with indications of AI use in some of these incidents “causing considerable public concern and anxiety.” […] The post South Korea Says AI…",
  "key_points": [
    "AI used in hacking attacks on South Korean banks",
    "Seven financial firms experienced data breaches",
    "AI tool Artex may have aided in some incidents"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}