Forces commander apologises for 'possible theft' of private details of up to 16,000 current and ex-employees of US military

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The top US military official in South Korea said a hacking incident may have compromised the personal information of thousands of South Koreans employed by the American command.

General Curtis M Scaparrotti, commander of US forces in South Korea, apologised on Thursday for the "possible theft" from two databases of private details of South Koreans, including names, contact information and work history.

About 16,000 current and former workers, almost all of them Korean nationals, and people who have sought jobs with the US military in South Korea, are affected by the incident.

The US military said no classified military data had been compromised as the databases were on a separate network.

The South Korean government, broadcasting and finance industry networks have been a frequent target of cyber-attacks. Some have been blamed on North Korea, which denies any involvement. Others have been attributed to hackers seeking to profit from data theft.

Christopher Bush, spokesman for US forces, said an investigation was under way to determine who was responsible.

The US has about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea as a deterrent against the North. The 1950-1953 Korean war ended in a truce so the peninsula is still technically at war.