By Kuksung Nam, The Readable
Feb. 19, 2024 9:03PM GMT+9
On Monday, cybersecurity experts from both the public and private sectors gathered to commemorate the establishment of a new association dedicated to assisting South Korean lawmakers in drafting legislation pertinent to the cybersecurity field.
During the inaugural general meeting held at the National Assembly Member’s Office Building, Jeong Kyeong-doo, the president of the National Cyber Security Laboratory (NCSL), noted a global lack of interest in recognizing and addressing cyber threats. In his opening remarks, Jeong stated, “The whole world is focusing on developing countermeasures against military conflicts that are visible to the naked eye, those that happen on physical battlefields. The devastating reality is that the severity of conflicts in cyberspace, where wars rage unseen, is not being adequately acknowledged.”
Jeong equated the threat of cyberattacks to that of “nuclear weapons,” emphasizing their potential to yield devastating outcomes. He highlighted how malicious actors, by exploiting advanced technologies, could paralyze critical infrastructure and inflict significant financial losses. Jeong pointed out that the risk escalates as society grows increasingly interconnected, with everything from smartphones to Internet of Things devices becoming integrated with the internet.
The president emphasized the crucial role of the NCSL, an association operating under the National Assembly Secretariat, in fortifying the nation’s cybersecurity response framework. By actively engaging in research, the NCSL aims to support South Korean lawmakers in crafting essential legislation. He stated, “As a private entity, the NCSL is committed to assisting lawmakers with a clear objective: to aid in the establishment of critical legislation, provisionally named the ‘Framework Act on National Cybersecurity.’”
Yang Jung-suk, the South Korean lawmaker who co-hosted the general meeting with the NCSL, emphasized the significance of passing the framework act on national cybersecurity in a virtual celebration speech. “South Korea has been discussing the enactment of this legislation since 2006, yet we have not achieved the desired results,” Yang stated. “Implementing this framework is essential to making the country safer and more secure.”
Furthermore, Ha Tae-hoon, the president of the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice, outlined that various countries are either enacting or updating their national cybersecurity laws to protect against evolving cyber threats. “Cyberattacks, increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence, are becoming more sophisticated. It is now imperative to establish a new national cybersecurity strategy,” Ha explained.
This article was copyedited by Arthur Gregory Willers.
Kuksung Nam is a journalist for The Readable. She has extensively traversed the globe to cover the latest stories on the cyber threat landscape and has been producing in-depth stories on security and privacy by engaging with industry giants, foreign government officials and experts. Before joining The Readable, Kuksung reported on politics for one of South Korea’s top-five local newspapers, The Kyeongin Ilbo. Her journalistic skills and reportage earned her the coveted Journalists Association of Korea award in 2021 for her essay detailing exclusive stories about the misconduct of a former government official. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in French from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, a testament to her linguistic capabilities.
