A number of North Korean Web sites are believed to have been exposed to hacking attacks.
 
A China-based Web site promoting tours to the North's Mount Geumgang on Thursday carried a mocking statement that read "Come visit Joseon filled with starving children" in Korean, Chinese and English.
 
Photos of emaciated North Korean children picking up food on the street were also on display.
 
The homepage of the North Korean firm Korea Publication also showed a line that reads "Joseon human rights report on special sale," and unrelated photos.
 
The unusual messages and photos on the North Korean Web sites are believed to belong to a single individual or organization as they appear to carry similarities.
 
Other North Korean Web sites including that of Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party's official newspaper, also had unstable access frequently in recent days before they returned to a normal state at present.