Alert as hackers shut South Korean presidential website

South Korea issued a cyber attack alert after government and media websites were hacked today, the 63rd anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War that divided the peninsula.

The science ministry said the site for the presidential office was among those targeted and shut down by unidentified hackers, and it warned all computer users to take extra security measures while its investigation continued.

Messages praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and claiming that hacking collective Anonymous was responsible, were left on the hacked sites. However, Anonymous denied any involvement. Both North and South Korea have accused each other of cyber attacks in recent years. Tens of thousands of computers and servers at South Korean broadcasters and banks were shut down by an attack in March. Seoul said an initial investigation pointed to a North Korean military-run spy agency as the culprit.

America and the South were blamed for cyber attacks, also in March, that temporarily disabled internet access and websites in North Korea, where a small number of people can go online. Tensions were high at the time, with North Korea issuing military threats over United Nations sanctions, though it has been pushing for diplomatic talks with Washington in recent weeks.