Comment by Phiwise_

Almost certainly the latter. Chances are good "allied" states like the US or S.Korea, with their cybersecurity budgets many times larger than either N.Korea or any private firm or group, also already knew about these and many other vulnerabilities, and were saving them for an emergency response in case N.Korea attacks someone in the region; instead this irregular has just burned this part of that puzzle for no gain except making himself into a peacetime media darling for magazines shortsighted enough to fawn over him like Wired. This is also why they say no plan survives contact with the enemy.