On Friday, senior government officials from South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in Washington D.C. to coordinate responses to ongoing cyber threats out of North Korea. The meeting was a follow up on agreements reached at Camp David during a summit held in August 2023.
Senior officials represented the three countries, including Lee Jun-il, the Director General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs at the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lyn Debevoise, the acting Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Policy from the U.S.; and Kumagai Naoki, the Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In addition to these key figures, representatives from various foreign diplomatic bodies and experts in the North Korean cyber sector also participated.
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According to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the three countries are working together to counteract North Korea’s cyber activities, which include hacking efforts that directly finance its nuclear and missile development programs. The security officials further expressed alarm over North Korean information technology workers who hide their true identities to obtain contracts from international firms in order to engage in malicious cyber activities.
Additionally, the meeting involved discussions on countermeasures against North Korea’s cyber threats as well as strengthening cooperation with private companies and international security capabilities to mitigate these threats.