Hacker returns $21 million in stolen bitcoin to South Korean authorities: report

South Korean prosecutors have recovered approximately $21.4 million worth of bitcoin (BTC) that was stolen from their custody last year. The loss occurred in August after investigators from the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office mistakenly accessed a phishing website and entered the recovery seed phrases for bitcoin seized from a gambling platform raid. The hacker returned 320.8 BTC to the authorities' wallet after prosecutors blocked transactions on the hacker's wallet, making liquidation difficult. The returned bitcoin has been moved to a local exchange for safekeeping while authorities continue to try and identify the hacker. This incident has prompted a nationwide review of how investigative agencies manage seized digital assets, especially following reports that Seoul police also lost track of 22 BTC stored in a cold wallet since 2021.

(Source：The Block)