Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- The suspected cyberattack that appeared to target South Korean banks and broadcasters Wednesday originated from an IP address in China, South Korea's Communications Committee said in a statement Thursday. The attack damaged 32,000 computers and servers of media and financial companies, the committee said. South Korean officials are analyzing the cause and are working to prevent any further damage, the committee said. The attack infected banks' and broadcasters' computer networks with a malicious program that slowed or shut systems down, officials and the semiofficial Yonhap News Agency said. Suspicion immediately fell on North Korea, which has recently renewed threats to go to war with the South amid rising tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile testing and international efforts to stop them.
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NEW: Attack traced to IP address in China, officials say
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North Korea has staged similar attacks in the past, expert says
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Banks, broadcasters targeted; government networks unaffected, Yonhap reports
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South Korean military steps up its cyberdefense efforts in response
@placeholder has accused the North of similar hacking attacks before, including incidents in 2010 and 2012 that also targeted banks and media organizations.