North Korean cybercriminals used fake documents related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law to try and steal personal data from South Koreans, according to ROK police, seeking to capitalize on the political turmoil to benefit the regime.

But while the attack highlights Pyongyang’s exploitation of cybersecurity gaps, an expert said that it did not appear to be an attempt to carry out an influence campaign.

At a press briefingon Tuesday, the National Police Agency’s cybercrime investigation unit revealed that it had traced the wide-ranging phishing email campaign to North Korea, citing digital forensics and operational patterns.