Cyberattack hits South Korean banks

SEOUL, South Korea -- A cyberattack caused computer networks at major South Korean banks and top TV broadcasters to crash simultaneously yesterday, paralyzing bank machines across the country and prompting speculation of North Korean involvement.

Screens went blank at 2 p.m., the state-run Korea Information Security Agency said, and more than seven hours later some systems were still down.

Police and South Korean officials couldn't immediately determine responsibility. North Korea's state media made no comments on the shutdown. But some experts suspected a cyberattack orchestrated by Pyongyang. The rivals have exchanged threats amid joint U.S.-South Korean military drills and UN sanctions meant to punish the North for its nuclear test last month.

The network paralysis took place just days after North Korea accused South Korea and the United States of staging a cyberattack that shut down its websites for two days last week. Loxley Pacific, the Thailand-based Internet service provider, confirmed the North Korean outage but did not say what caused it.

The South Korean shutdown did not affect government agencies or potential targets such as power plants or transportation systems. -- AP