Emails of dozens of South Korean defense and diplomatic officials and journalists have been hacked by North Korea this year, and the prosecution is looking into whether any state secrets have been leaked, the prosecution said Monday.

Emails of some 90 officials from the defense, diplomatic and unifications ministries, as well as journalists and researchers on North Korea, have been subject to the hacking attacks from January to June, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said.

Fifty-six of them had their passwords stolen and possibly had their emails exposed to North Korean hackers, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution tracked down 27 phishing sites opened by what is believed to be a North Korean hacking group and an investigation is going on whether any state secrets have been leaked in the hacking attacks. (Yonhap)