Malware Combat
North Korean hackers engage in trolling Seoul administration - Reuters Reuters

An army of North Korean hackers have been assigned to post troll messages against South Korean administration, says a Seoul-based thinktank.

The cyber experts has been assigned to inflict a dent on Seoul's morale by posting messages against the administration under South Korean pseudonyms.

The Police Policy Institute in the country said no less than 200 of the 3,000-strong North Korean cyber troops are involved in such activities. The private thinktank which is familiar with Pyongyang's strategies had presented its claims at the Seoul Press Center.

"The North [Korea] has established a team of online trolls at the United Front Department and the Reconnaissance General Bureau," said Ryu Dong-ryul of the institute.

The North Korean cyber warfare army has also developed special apps to demoralise the South Korean online users.

The North Korean cyber army posted messages mocking Seoul on more than 140 prominent websites, whose servers are based in 19 countries, the thinktank said.

Pyongyang cyber troops posted nearly 27,000 troll messages in 2011 and it had increased to more than 41,000 the following year.

The isolated nation is also believed to have special schools and universities to recruit students to be trained as skilled hackers.

North Korea has been frequently accused of carrying out major cyber assaults on South Korean websites.

North Korea