1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will co-host the Inter-Regional Conference on Cyber/ICT Security in Seoul (Lotte Hotel) from April 4 to 5.

o In the upcoming conference, participants will discuss a range of issues regarding cyber security, including experiences of building regional trust in cyberspace, making international norms in cyberspace, private-public cooperation, and cyber security capacity-building. The conference will be attended by members of the OSCE, OSCE Partners for Cooperation, and some 100 government and civil experts in cyber security from ARF member countries.

2. In his opening address on April 4, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahn Chong-ghee will stress the need for cooperation between Europe and Asia to respond to transboundary cyber security threats. He will also raise global attention to the seriousness of the North Korean cyber threat, and call for cooperation to address it.

o Vice Minister Ahn will emphasize that cooperation on cyber security is more important in Asia than anywhere else, as Asia is vulnerable to cyber attacks due in part to geopolitical situations, the North Korean cyber threat, and high dependency on Internet use. He will elaborate on ways for the international community to cooperate on cyber security, including partnership among countries, trust-building, capacity-building, and establishment of international norms.

3. Cyber security is emerging as a key global security issue, as conflicts in cyberspace between countries have increased, and cyber attacks on critical infrastructure have rapidly grown. The forthcoming conference to be held against this backdrop is expected to become a meaningful occasion to assess the cyber security environments in Europe and Asia, and discuss ways for the regions to work together on cyber security.

o Amid growing cyber threats from North Korea, as shown in the hack on Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation and another hack on Sony Pictures in 2014, as well as concern over the possibility of North Korea increasing malignant cyber activities targeting global financial institutions, the upcoming conference is expected to serve as an opportunity to raise global attention to the North Korean cyber threat and explore ways to respond to that.

4. Furthermore, as the OSCE is playing a leading role in promoting interregional cooperation in cyber security, especially in the area of trust-building, the upcoming conference is expected to serve as an occasion to share experiences of trust-building in cyberspace between regions, thereby contributing to expanding trust-building efforts in Asia.

5. The ROK government has actively contributed to international discussions on cyber security, including by adopting the Seoul Framework for and Commitment to Open and Secure Cyberspace at the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013, and has held cyber policy consultations with eleven countries, including the US, Japan, the EU, China and Russia. The ROK government will actively play a bridging role in enhancing cooperation on cyber security between Europe and Asia.


* unofficial translation