[26.02.20] Why the Stolen 320 Prosecutors’ Bitcoins Were Returned

320 Seized Bitcoins Returned After Six Months in Korea, Sudden Lunar New Year Transfer Raises Questions

📍 Crypto confiscated by prosecutors stolen via phishing, later sent back to original wallet after exchange freeze

Prosecutors in South Korea have recovered all 320 bitcoins that were stolen from confiscated criminal assets through a phishing attack. The assets were unexpectedly returned to the original wallet on Lunar New Year’s Day, deepening questions about the attacker’s motive.

🔹 320 bitcoins suddenly returned on holiday night
According to the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, the 320 bitcoins—worth about 31 billion won—were transferred back to the original offline wallet at around 8 p.m. on January 17.

After discovering the theft, prosecutors tracked the wallet in real time and requested cooperation from 27 domestic and overseas exchanges, including Binance and Upbit, freezing the account and blocking liquidation.

🔹 Sophisticated phishing attack targeting a cold wallet
The incident occurred in August 2025 during an asset management handover. Investigators accessed a phishing website designed to closely mimic the legitimate cold wallet management page, leading to the theft.

The site, hosted on a European server, was difficult to distinguish from the real page and was easily searchable online. Similar 피해 cases are also suspected.

🔹 Unusual voluntary return after months of silence
Crypto theft cases typically involve immediate laundering or cash-out through multiple wallets. However, this case was unusual because the stolen assets remained idle for months before being returned.

Experts suggest the exchange freeze made liquidation impossible, prompting the attacker to send the funds back. Some also speculate the suspect hoped for a reduced sentence if later apprehended.

🔹 Investigation and internal audit underway
Prosecutors are tracing the phishing operators and domain registrants while also conducting an internal inspection. Five investigators’ mobile phones were seized for forensic analysis.

Authorities stated they would continue a full investigation and have moved the recovered bitcoins to a secure domestic exchange for safekeeping.

One-line summary : The 320 bitcoins stolen from prosecutors were unexpectedly returned on Lunar New Year.