Ten South Korean nationals, five men and five women, were tried yesterday for allegedly hacking into the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' computer system last year and listening to stored phone conversations.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge Chhae Vireak said the group had hacked into and stolen “automated system safety data” from the ministry.

Vireak identified the 10 suspects as Kim Dohyn, 31; Kang Inwon, 29; Kim Yonsuk, 27; Godwin Sub, 33; Kang Sun 28, Park Men, 25; Park Myon, 26; Hy Yong Park, 30; Hee Coming, 31; and Soon Hain, 30.

The group was arrested during a November 12 raid on a Tuol Kork district villa, said Colonel Chhae Chhun, chief of the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Terror Police.

“They … hacked automated system safety data and listened to people’s conversations, which were stored in the secret data system of the Ministry of Posts and Communications,” Chhun told the court, adding that the group had been caught red-handed.

The accused each confessed to his or her role in the hack yesterday, but pleaded for pardons.

Suspect Kang Inwon, who said he came to Cambodia as a tourist in mid 2014, said he didn’t know he was committing a crime.

“The reason why I checked into the automated safety data system … is because I did not know about the laws in Cambodia,” Inwon said, adding that he had not stolen data, only “checked it”.

No one in court yesterday proffered a rationale as to why the system had been hacked.

A verdict is due August 26.