Lee orders review for establishment of cybersecurity task force

Seoul, November 3 - President Lee Jae Myung has ordered officials to examine the creation of a dedicated cybersecurity task force, as the country faces a surge in cyber attacks on financial institutions. This directive came after a string of hacking incidents, including breaches at Mirae Asset Global Investments, the crypto exchange Bithumb, and Daishin Securities.

The recent high-profile attack on Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, resulted in the theft of over $6 billion in cryptocurrency, with the FBI attributing it to North Korea. President Lee emphasized the need for a "comprehensive prevention system" to combat these threats, which have become so advanced that they pose a significant risk to the national economy, security, and daily life.

He stressed that the sophistication of hacking techniques, aided by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), has outpaced existing security measures. The president called for discussions to establish a government-wide agency responsible for cybersecurity, both in the public and private sectors. Specifically, he directed officials to consider forming a cybersecurity czar agency that could act as a centralized control for security management.

Lee also instructed officials to address any weaknesses in cybersecurity within major state institutions and critical infrastructure sectors, such as information and communications, energy, and finance.