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| Cryptocurrency mining equipment found in the basement of Seoul Arts Center / Courtesy of Rep. Jeon Yong-gi |
By Yoon Ja-young
An employee of Seoul Arts Center has been caught mining cryptocurrency at work.
According to a Seoul Arts Center (SAC) report submitted to Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, an employee at the country's top arts and cultural facility in southern Seoul was found to have installed cryptocurrency mining equipment in a basement room of Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, one of the buildings within the SAC complex.
Employees found the equipment engaged in mining work while patrolling the facility. They found two sets of digital currency mining equipment ― each comprising computer hardware and a graphics card, as well as a circulator ― all set up by the employee, a member of the facility management team.
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| Cryptocurrency mining equipment found in the basement of Seoul Arts Center / Courtesy of Rep. Jeon Yong-gi |
When the SAC requested the worker to report in detail what was going on, he confessed that he had brought two among a number of Ethereum mining computing devices from his home to the premises in October.
He said he planned at first to keep them for a short time in the electricity facility control room before selling them, knowing that people rarely go to the basement room.
However, as the cryptocurrency prices soared in November, he changed his mind and started using the devices for mining, connecting them to the electricity panel board in the room. He also used monitors belonging to SAC that were not in use. For an internet connection, he used his own mobile phone.
The SAC estimated that he used electricity worth 305,472 won ($274) during the 48-day period and ordered him to reimburse the costs. He is estimated to have earned 638,166 won from the mining.
The SAC suspended him from work for two months as a penalty.
