S. Korea, US establish cyber security strategy framework

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to Washington has also served as a momentum to establish the cybersecurity strategy framework based on the mutual agreement that the cyber threat posed by North Korea is as severe as its nuclear and missile development, requiring them to prepare expedited and systematic response thereto. Analysts anticipate that the two countries will strengthen intelligence exchange and cooperation as rigorous as the Five Eyes alliance comprising the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.

Ahead of the summit, a high-ranking official of the U.S. government met with reporters and announced that the two countries would create the cybersecurity strategy framework. It is reported that Seoul and Washington reached a consensus on the seriousness of the cyber threat posed by North Korea, which requires as much caution as its military threat. The Biden administration indicated North Korea, China, and Russia as countries posing the main cyber security challenges to the U.S., adding that it will dismantle the network of threat actors in cyberspace. In 2021, the U.S. proclaimed that it would work with the Five Eyes alliance and its core allies to respond to cyber threats, especially those from China.

“Through the South Korea-U.S. framework, the bilateral cooperation will be strengthened, not only in identifying cyber threat actors and accumulating information regarding their methods but also in building preventive mechanisms,” said a Korean government official in a telephone interview with The Dong-A Ilbo. The two countries will develop a detailed strategy to protect infrastructures that are prone to cyber attacks.

In an interview with NBC, President Yoon Suk Yeol commented on the U.S. government’s divulgence of classified documents. “I believe that this matter is no reason to shake the ironclad trust that supports the South Korea-U.S. alliance because it is based on shared values like freedom,” said Yoon.

Asked if a friend spies on one another, President Yoon answered, “Generally speaking, I don’t think that in the real world, this is something that is prohibited in state affairs. The most important thing is trust. When you have that trust, you don’t get it shaken,” in English-dubbed footage, implying that regardless of the authenticity of the documents, the alliance will not be shaken or affected by the alleged eavesdropping by the Pentagon. Yoon also said that the leaked classified documents reportedly contain matters that are different from the truth. “I heard that the U.S. government is currently conducting an investigation, and security officials in Korea are closely coordinating with their U.S. counterparts regarding the matter,” said the president.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com