Some N. Korean websites suffer connection disturbances again

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- Some major North Korean websites suffered partial disconnections Monday, just days after they suffered a suspected distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

Access to the websites of the North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, and its foreign ministry, were disturbed as of Monday morning.

Unlike Wednesday when the official websites went offline for hours, the sites were not completely disconnected Monday.

It was not immediately clear if the North came under a cyberattack or it was the aftermath of last week's incident.

The internet disturbances come amid heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with the North firing a series of missiles since the start of the year.

On Sunday, the North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into the East Sea in its seventh show of force this month, and its longest-range missile test since the test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November 2017.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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