South Korea and European Union join forces against cryptocurrency theft

• South Korea fights North Korean hackers with EU support
• European Union strengthens measures against attacks on cryptocurrencies
• International partnership aims to protect global crypto users

South Korea and the European Union have signed a strategic alliance to step up efforts to combat cryptocurrency theft by groups associated with the North Korean regime, the move was unveiled during a summit in Seoul focused on cybersecurity and digital financial crimes.

In recent years, North Korean hackers have been blamed for a series of attacks that have drained billions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency from platforms around the world. South Korean authorities say the Lazarus group, which is allegedly linked to the Pyongyang government, is at the center of these operations.

The agreement between the two powers involves the exchange of information, technical support, monitoring of on-chain transactions and the reinforcement of regulatory policies aimed at tracking suspicious movements in the crypto asset markets.

The South Korean government, which already has a mandatory reporting system for local exchanges, is planning to implement even stricter guidelines. The collaboration with the European Union comes as a response to the growing sophistication of hacker tactics.

On the European side, concerns have intensified after investigations revealed that some of the stolen funds have been converted and moved through decentralized platforms. The European Parliament has been discussing expanding the scope of anti-money laundering laws in the cryptocurrency sector.

European Commissioner Ylva Johansson said: “Digital security needs to advance at the same pace as financial technology. This collaboration with South Korea is a decisive step in the global fight against illicit finance.”

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market remains on alert after Bitcoin hit an all-time high on Bitstamp, trading at $112.000 on the recent Bitcoin Pizza Day before falling back to the $109.000 range on President Donald Trump's tariff warnings.

Although BTC maintains weekly gains of around 5%, altcoins such as HYPE have gained prominence with an appreciation of more than 30% in the last seven days, demonstrating resilience amid the more tense geopolitical environment and the international focus on measures to protect digital assets.