Republic of Korea's Cybersecurity Policy: Objectives, Instruments, International Cooperation

The article is devoted to the analysis of the main directions of the Republic of Korea's cybersecurity policy after the Yoon Suk Yeol administration came to power in 2022. Drawing from the analysis of ROK’s official documents, including the new 2024 Cybersecurity Strategy, the author demonstrates that the main aspect of Yoon Suk Yeol's "proactive" cybersecurity policy is an appeal to the factor of the North Korean cyber threat, which necessitates the development of offensive cyber potential and preventive response to cyber threats. The author also notes that over the past three years, South Korea has expanded its participation in international cybersecurity exercises (including under the auspices of NATO) and, in general, strengthened cooperation in the field of cybersecurity with many foreign partners. Finally, an important part of the cybersecurity policy is the reform of public and private cybersecurity sector organizations’ activities management, aimed at increasing the role of the National Intelligence Service and the creation of a single coordinating body — the so-called National Cyber Security Committee. The author concludes that in the face of opposition that disagrees with the centralization policy and believes that strengthening the role of the National Intelligence Service in ensuring national cybersecurity is an abuse of power and leads to human rights violations, Yoon Suk Yeol failed to implement the main initiative of his cybersecurity policy and pass the Framework Act on Cybersecurity. At the same time, this situation is almost identical to the Park Geun Hye administration's attempts to pass the Cyberterrorism Act, which also implied an expansion of the scope of National Intelligence Service authority and was subsequently blocked by the opposition faction.

Cybersecurity, Republic of Korea, strategy, intelligence, centralization, cyber threats, reform