Gov't mulls creating body to counter cyberattacks

SEOUL, November 3 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for the creation of a high-level body to coordinate responses to cyberattacks across the public and private sectors, as South Korea faces growing concerns over hacking and data breaches.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul, Lee urged officials to actively consider establishing such a body to strengthen the country's defenses against increasing cyber threats.

Pointing out that hacking attacks at home and abroad are becoming increasingly sophisticated fueled by the rapid development of artificial intelligence and security vulnerabilities, he warned, "The existing security system, which largely focuses on inspections and responding to attacks after they occur, is no longer sufficient."

Lee stressed the need for a more proactive approach, urging officials to establish a system to detect security vulnerabilities and take preventive action before attacks occur.

"Above all, we need to build a system that can detect signs of potential attacks, share information and respond before they occur," he said.

"His remarks came shortly after personal information belonging to Lee and members of his entourage who accompanied him on a trip to Europe in June was reportedly leaked online. The leak is said to have affected 168 people including Lee, first lady Kim Hae kyung, senior government officials, presidential security staff and journalists who traveled aboard the presidential aircraft. The exposed data included their names, dates of birth and passport numbers. It remains unclear who accessed the information or whether it was misused.