Bitcoin Extortion: Bomb Threat Caller Demands $1M From Hyundai In South Korea

Hyundai Group’s Seoul workplaces had been evacuated after an e-mail threatened explosions until a Bitcoin ransom was paid, authorities and media stories stated.

The message demanded 13 Bitcoin — roughly $1.1 million — and set a deadline of 11:30 AM, prompting an instantaneous security response throughout a number of firm websites on December 20, 2025.

Threat Sent To Seoul Offices

According to police and information shops, the e-mail named two places: the Hyundai Group constructing in Yeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, and the Hyundai Motor Group tower in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu.

Staff left work and buildings had been cleared whereas native legislation enforcement mobilized particular items. Reports have disclosed that Hyundai moved operations to distant work as officers searched the premises.

Police Clear Buildings After Sweeps

Bomb squads and officers combed rooms and public areas at each websites. Equipment was used and rooms had been checked methodically. No explosives or suspicious units had been discovered, officers reported.

During the hours of looking, streets close to the buildings had been closed and entry was tightly managed. No switch of the demanded 13 BTC has been traced, and Hyundai didn’t pay the ransom, in line with sources near the corporate and legislation enforcement briefings.

Officers stated the threat appeared aimed toward inflicting alarm relatively than reporting a verifiable plan. Investigators have been amassing digital proof from the threatening e-mail and are working with cyber items to hint its origin.

Searches of close by surveillance footage and constructing logs had been carried out as a part of normal process. Several witnesses described the scene as tense, with staff escorted out calmly and officers coordinating protected motion.

Part Of A Wider Pattern Of Extortion

Based on stories from a number of shops, this incident is just not remoted. Similar threats have focused main South Korean corporations in current days, with messages mentioning Samsung Electronics, KT, Kakao, and Naver.

Authorities imagine a number of the messages could also be copycat makes an attempt or coordinated extortion that depend on concern relatively than actual bombs. Officials stated they’re treating every tip critically whereas attempting to separate credible leads from hoaxes.

Financial and cybercrime items have famous an uptick in ransom calls for tied to cryptocurrencies within the area over the previous months. While attackers favor crypto for its cross-border attain, tracing transactions can typically reveal helpful leads when corporations and exchanges cooperate.

Analysts who comply with such circumstances say investigators now routinely mix bodily safety sweeps with blockchain evaluation to comply with any cash path.

Hyundai launched a quick assertion confirming the evacuations and thanking emergency companies for his or her quick response, however it declined to touch upon investigative particulars.

Featured picture from Unsplash, chart from TradingView