Amid a barrage of bellicose statements from Pyongyang that has put the governments of South Korea and the United States on edge, hackers on Thursday apparently hijacked several of North Korea's online accounts, posting a photo of leader Kim Jong Un as a pig with ears, a snout and Mickey Mouse emblazoned on his abdomen. The cartoon, which includes the words "Wanted: Kim Jung Un," appears to be a send up of the "wanted" posters issued by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
VOA's Seoul Correspondent Steve Herman tweeted early Friday that the pro-government site also was defaced -- and the unflattering cartoon of Kim was posted.
Hackers from the group Anonymous took responsibility for the breaches, saying on its website it "has fired its first shots at North Korea." Later in the day, Pyongyang's Flickr account appeared to be restored. And by Friday afternoon, its Twitter account showed a photo of two tango dancers wearing Guy Fawkes masks, a nod to Anonymous hackers.
Tensions in the Korean region have spiked dramatically in recent weeks as the United Nations levied new sanctions on the North after Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February.
VOA's Seoul Correspondent Steve Herman tweeted early Friday that the pro-government site also was defaced -- and the unflattering cartoon of Kim was posted.
Pro-#DPRK website aindf.com hacked with image of Kim Jong as a pig.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 5, 2013
Hackers from the group Anonymous took responsibility for the breaches, saying on its website it "has fired its first shots at North Korea." Later in the day, Pyongyang's Flickr account appeared to be restored. And by Friday afternoon, its Twitter account showed a photo of two tango dancers wearing Guy Fawkes masks, a nod to Anonymous hackers.
Tensions in the Korean region have spiked dramatically in recent weeks as the United Nations levied new sanctions on the North after Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February.