Seoul accuses North Korea of stealing southern chipmakers' designs

South Korea's National Intelligence Service warns that North Korean government-linked cyber actors breached at least two semiconductor equipment firms' internet-connected IT systems since last year, stealing product designs and facility photos. The intruders used 'living off the land' techniques to evade detection; the NIS has notified victims, assisted remediation, and alerted the broader domestic semiconductor sector. The advisory also references related North Korean campaigns (including Lazarus Group social-engineering/supply-chain activity) aimed at stealing defense and industrial technology.