Deceased Nexon founder’s cryptocurrency account hacked

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) — The cryptocurrency account of Kim Jung-ju, the deceased founder of gaming giant Nexon Co., was hacked, resulting in the loss of more than 8.5 billion won (US$6.7 million), court documents showed Thursday.

The Seoul Eastern District Court convicted a 39-year-old man, whose identity has been withheld, for illegally copying USIM cards of 15 victims, including Kim’s, between May and June of this year, according to the documents. Kim died in the United States in late February.

The man then hacked into Kim’s account and stole cryptocurrency a total of 27 times amounting to 8.51 billion won, the documents showed.

The court sentenced the man to six years in prison and a fine of 600 million won. The court also ordered the man to return the 8.51 billion won.