The DDoS attacks during the October 2011 South Korean by-election were allegedly two separate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that occurred on October 26, 2011. The attacks, which took place during the October 2011 Seoul mayoral by-election, targeted the websites of the National Election Commission (NEC) and then-mayoral candidate Park Won-soon. [1] Investigators assert that the attacks were carried out in hopes of suppressing young voters, to the benefit of the Grand National Party. [2] An aide of Grand National Party legislator Choi Gu-sik was found responsible for the attacks. [3]
The attacks consisted of two separate denial-of-service attacks against independent National Election Commission and mayoral candidate Park Won-soon, carried out with the help of a botnet of 200 infected computers. [3] The attacks were conducted during the morning, when citizens—particularly young voters looking to vote before work—would have been expected to look up polling station locations. [2] It has been theorized that the attacks were conducted in the belief that they may reduce voter turnout, to the benefit of the Grand National Party's candidate Na Kyung-won. [1] Police stated that the attack against the NEC lasted about two hours, specifically impacting the part of the website with information on polling locations; [4] Park Won-soon's website was attacked twice that day. [5] [3]
The National Police Agency later revealed that an aide to Grand National Part lawmaker Choi Gu-sik , referred to in the media by only their surname "Gong," was responsible for the two attacks. [3] [6] The National Police Agency later arrested Gong and four other associates. [7]
Some researchers, however, have questioned the official narrative. Doubts have been raised as to whether Gong had the technical expertise or resources to pull off the attack. [5] Others have pointed out that under a DDoS attack, it would be unusual for parts of a website to be offline while others are online, suggesting perhaps a technical failure instead. [4]
These events caused a collective panic amongst GNP members as they often denounce the online activities of South Korean progressives.[ clarification needed ] [8] [ unreliable source? ]
The exposure of his role in the attacks led to Choi Gu-sik officially resigning his position as a lawmaker, [9] along with several other members of the GNP. [2]
In the wake of the scandal, reformists in the conservative Grand National Party put pressure on core members of the party who were closely affiliated with the Lee Myung-bak government; this in turn led to Park Geun-hye being brought back into the spotlight to reorganize the GNP. [10]
More than 30 university[ quantify ] student associations made a joint statement calling for a thorough investigation of the attacks. [11]