"I stole virtual assets seized by the National Tax Service" report filed…police verify facts

Police have launched checks after receiving a report from someone claiming to be the culprit who stole virtual assets seized by South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS).

The National Police Agency’s Cyber Terror Response Division said it received the report on the 28th of last month and is verifying the facts.

The informant reportedly said they attempted the theft out of curiosity after seeing an online post claiming the NTS had exposed the “mnemonic code,” a password used to restore coins, and asserted that the coins were put back afterward.

Police plan to decide whether to book the informant after questioning.

Previously, the NTS distributed a press release on the 26th of last month saying it had seized a taxpayer delinquent’s “cold wallet (offline electronic wallet)” containing virtual assets. In the process, the “mnemonic code,” a password that serves as a master key allowing external access to the coins, was exposed.

Police have been conducting a preliminary inquiry (internal probe) after receiving a request for investigation from the NTS.

Kim Soo-young, Hankyung.com reporter swimmingk@hankyung.com