A senior South Korean government official is in London this week, seeking to strengthen cyber collaboration between South Korea and the United Kingdom.
In a press release issued on Monday, South Korea’s presidential office disclosed that Lim Jong-deuk, the country’s second deputy national security adviser, will be in the UK from September 11 to 16. During his visit, Lim is slated to meet with top-level British officials across various sectors, including national security, defense, and foreign policy. The presidential office also revealed that Yun Oh-jun, an expert on cybersecurity policy serving under Lim, will accompany him on the trip.
“This trip was brought to life by an official invitation from the UK government last May,” said the presidential office in a statement. “The second deputy national security adviser is planning to focus on fortifying the cybersecurity cooperation that the two countries have been working on.”
As the two nations celebrate the 140th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year, South Korea and the UK are intensifying efforts to strengthen their partnership in the cybersecurity arena. High-level talks between national security officials from both countries kicked off earlier this year during the “Cyber Week” event, hosted by the British Embassy in South Korea.
In April, during his trip to Lithuania, the second deputy national security adviser engaged in bilateral discussions with UK cybersecurity officials. This visit coincided with an international conference focused on bolstering cybersecurity ties between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states and nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to South Korea’s presidential office, both South Korea and the UK are actively pursuing measures to elevate their cybersecurity cooperation to a level befitting an alliance. This initiative was initially proposed by the South Korean government when they met with Matthew Collins, the UK’s deputy national security adviser, during his visit to the country on April 26.
In related developments, South Korea’s second deputy national security adviser is slated to engage in discussions with Lindy Cameron, CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. The talks are expected to focus on strengthening public-private partnerships in the realm of cybersecurity. According to the presidential office, Lim also plans to confer with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK’s Minister for Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), with an emphasis on enhancing strategic dialogue between the two nations to counter North Korean cyber threats.
The photo of the cover image was taken by the Cyber Operations Command of South Korea.
