South Korea, US to boost joint research in cybersecurity

By Kuksung Nam, The Readable
Mar. 21, 2023 8:02PM GMT+9

South Korea and the United States will work together to boost collaborative research on cybersecurity, continuing their effort to enhance cooperation in state-of-the-art technologies.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Tuesday that they signed a joint statement of intent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), which formally declared both countries’ cooperation in studying four prominent fields: chemical and biological defense, critical infrastructure, unmanned aircraft systems, and cybersecurity. The joint statement also included a commitment to provide career exchanges in science, technology, engineering, and math.

This agreement could be regarded as completing the final part of the procedure before the two countries start their specific discussions. “We are planning to talk in detail with the U.S. about the joint research beginning this year,” said an official from the Ministry of Science and ICT to The Readable. The official added that they will not be able to disclose the topic of the collaborative research.

“We hope that this agreement will build an even more concrete partnership in the research of emerging technologies, which the two countries’ leaders had agreed upon last year,” said Park Yun-kyu, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, in a statement. South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol and his U.S. counterpart, President Joe Biden, have pledged to deepen their bilateral cooperation on critical and advanced technologies and cybersecurity in May of last year.

The DHS S&T have also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), which works to provide military supplies that will strengthen the country’s defensive capabilities.

In a press release, the S&T stated that the agreement is a “significant achievement” as it enables both countries to exchange information and advanced technologies as a means to protect themselves from weapons of mass destruction and cyber threats.

DAPA told the Readable that they anticipate working with their U.S. counterpart on collaborative research in various fields, including cybersecurity.

nam@thereadable.co

The cover image of this article was designed by Areum Hwang.

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.