(3rd LD) Hackers steal $32 mln from cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb

(ATTN: ADDS police investigation in 7th para; UPDATES with fresh coin prices in 8th para)

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Bithumb, said Wednesday it lost 35 billion won (US$31.5 million) worth of cryptocurrencies in a hacking attack, highlighting concerns that cryptocurrency exchanges are vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The theft took place between Tuesday night and dawn on Wednesday, Bithumb said in a statement.

Bithumb said its cryptocurrencies were moved to a more secure "cold wallet," which can transfer coins to a platform that is not connected to the Internet.

Deposit and withdrawal services were halted "for the time being," the exchange said.

"The loss will be compensated by Bithumb's own reservoir," Bithumb said.

Bithumb apologized for the incident, asking its customers "not to deposit any fund into Bithumb wallet addresses."

At the same time, the Seoul police launched a probe into the case. It sent several officers to Bithumb's Seoul headquarters to collect records and data from the company's computers.

In South Korea, the price of Bitcoin dropped 5.22 percent to 7.13 million won (US$6,453) as of 3:05 p.m., according to another cryptocurrency exchange, Btrade. Ethereum slumped 6.19 percent to 562,200 won.

It was the second hacking attack of a cryptocurrency exchange in less than two weeks in South Korea.

Earlier this month, a minor exchange Coinrail said it was hacked.
(END)