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South Korea is world-famous for its blazing-fast internet, near-universal broadband coverage, and as a leader in digital innovation, hosting global tech brands like Hyundai, LG, and Samsung. But this very success has made the country a prime target for hackers and exposed how fragile its cybersecurity defenses remain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The country is reeling from a string of high-profile hacks, affecting credit card companies, telecoms, tech startups, and government agencies, impacting vast swathes of the South Korean population. In each case, ministries and regulators appeared to scramble in parallel, sometimes deferring to one another rather than moving in unison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Critics argue that South Korea\u2019s cyber defenses are hindered by a fragmented system of government ministries and agencies, often resulting in slow and uncoordinated responses, per local media reports<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n With no clear government agency acting as \u201cfirst responder\u201d<\/a> following a cyberattack, the country\u2019s cyber defenses are struggling to keep pace with its digital ambitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe government\u2019s approach to cybersecurity remains largely reactive, treating it as a crisis management issue rather than as critical national infrastructure,\u201d Brian Pak, the chief executive of Seoul-based cybersecurity firm Theori, told TechCrunch.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Pak, who also serves as an advisor to SK Telecom\u2019s parent company\u2019s special committee on cybersecurity innovations, told TechCrunch that because government agencies tasked with cybersecurity work in silos, developing digital defenses and training skilled workers often get overlooked.\u00a0<\/p>\n The country is also facing a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[That\u2019s] mainly because the current approach has held back workforce development. This lack of talent creates a vicious cycle. Without enough expertise, it\u2019s impossible to build and maintain the proactive defenses needed to stay ahead of threats,\u201d Pak continued.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Political deadlock has fostered a habit of seeking quick, obvious \u201cquick fixes\u201d after each crisis, said Pak, all the while the more challenging, long-term work of building digital resilience continues to be sidelined.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year alone, there has been a major cybersecurity incident in South Korea almost every month, further mounting concerns over the resilience of South Korea\u2019s digital infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In light of the recent surge in hacking incidents, the South Korean Presidential Office\u2019s National Security is stepping in to tighten defenses, pushing for a cross-ministerial effort that brings multiple agencies together in a coordinated<\/a>, whole-of-government response.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In September 2025, the National Security Office announced that it would implement \u201ccomprehensive\u201d cyber measures<\/a> through an interagency plan, led by the South Korean president\u2019s office. Regulators also signaled a legal change giving the government power to launch probes at the first sign of hacking \u2014 even if companies haven\u2019t filed a report<\/a>. Both steps aim to address the lack of a first responder that has long hindered South Korea\u2019s cyber defenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n But South Korea\u2019s fragmented system leaves accountability weak, placing all authority in a presidential \u201ccontrol tower\u201d could risk \u201cpoliticization\u201d and overreach, according to Pak.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n A better path may be balance: a central body to set strategy and coordinate crises, paired with independent oversight to keep power in check. In a hybrid model, expert agencies like KISA<\/a> would still handle the technical work \u2014 just with more straightforward rules and accountability, Pak told TechCrunch.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the South Korea\u2019s Ministry of Science in ICT said the ministry, with KISA and other relevant agencies, is \u201ccommitted to addressing increasingly sophisticated and advanced cyber threats.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to work diligently to minimize potential harm to Korean businesses and the general public,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\nJanuary 2025\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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