NORTH Korean hackers have stolen the USA’s hyper-classified plans for war on the peninsula, it emerged today.
A high level cyber attack, masterminded from Pyongyang, gained access to highly classified information detailing a joint US/South Korea response to the nuclear threat from Kim Jong-un.
The data even includes a plot to “decapitate” Kim Jong-un.
Rhee Cheol-hee, a South Korean lawmaker, said North Korea now has its hands on the latest South Korea-US wartime plans, the South’s Yonhap News Agency reported.
Citing reports from South Korea’s defence ministry, he said hackers from the despot leader’s regime broke into the Defence Integrated Data Center network last September to steal the secret files which included Operational Plans 5015 and 3100.
OPLAN 5015 is the latest Seoul-Washington plan if an all-out war with Pyongyang broke out.
The operation contained detailed procedures to “decapitate” Kim.
OPLAN 3100 is Seoul’s plan on how to respond to localised provocations on the border.
Mr Rhee said 235 gigabytes of military documents were leaked, however the content of nearly 80 per cent of that has not yet been identified.
Among the documents was a contingency plan for the South’s special forces, reports to allies’ top commanders and information on key military facilities and power plants, he said.
In May, the South’s defence ministry investigation said they believed the communist state was behind the hacking of the military’s key online network.
However, they did not reveal what data had been leaked at the time.
The hack raises serious concerns over the South’s cyber security and the North’s increasing ability to spy on other nations.
Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the cyber attack, scolding Seoul for "fabricating" claims of online attacks.
The stolen plans coincide with the North ramping up its rhetoric and testing six missiles this year, including a nuclear missile which the North claims could reach the US west coast.
A Russian lawmaker who visited Pyongyang last week, today warned Kim's team claimed the North possesses a ballistic missile which will be able to reach US territory after it is modernised.
Anton Morozov said North Korea is aiming to increase the range of its ballistic missiles from 3,000km to 9,000km - which could reach the US Pacific island of Guam.
Mr Morozov, who embarked on a three day visit to the despot kingdom with two other Russian lawmakers, said on Friday Kim was preparing to launch another long-range missile “in the nearest future”.
He claimed to have seen calculations showing the missile could hit the US west coast.
The Russian, said: “They are preparing for new tests of a long-range missile.
“They even gave us mathematical calculations that they believe prove that their missile can hit the west coast of the United States.
“As far as we understand, they intend to launch one more long-range missile in the near future.
“And in general, their mood is rather belligerent.”
The North Koreans claimed to have technology which would allow them to bring a nuclear warhead down to earth intact, he added.