North Korea has tried to steal information about COVID-19 vaccines and other treatments by hacking drug maker Pfizer, a South Korean lawmaker said Tuesday.
Ha Tae-keung said he and other lawmakers had been briefed by the South Korean intelligence agency on the North’s efforts to acquire coronavirus-related technology.
“Attempts were made to steal COVID vaccine and treatment technology during cyber attacks, and Pfizer was hacked,” he said.
The spy agency denied naming the pharmaceutical company by name, but Ha said he saw documents that read: “North Korea stole Pfizer (vaccine information).”
Ha said lawmakers had to return the documents at the end of the closed briefing, but added that the wording about Pfizer “was so clear that I did not even ask for it orally.”
Pfizer did not immediately comment.
The alleged burglary comes after reports last year that North Korea was trying to break into the networks of at least nine healthcare companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Novavax Inc. and AstraZeneca.
The Hermit Kingdom has insisted that no coronavirus infections have been reported since the start of the pandemic – a claim widely questioned by experts who note that it shares a border with China, the original epicenter of the outbreak.
With Post threads