Ha Tae-kyung: "North Korea's hacking is indiscriminate, will establish a presidential 'National Cybersecurity Agency'"

Ha Tae-kyung, Member of the People Power Party [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party who declared his candidacy for the presidential election, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 4th and announced his third pledge to establish the 'National Cybersecurity Agency.' Previously, Ha proposed the direct election of the Prosecutor General and the abolition of the Ministry of Justice as his first pledge, followed by relocating the capital through a national referendum as his second pledge.

Ha said, "The whole world is engaged in cyber warfare, but South Korea lacks a control tower for cyber warfare," adding, "If I become president, I will consolidate the cyber security teams scattered across the National Intelligence Service, the Defense Security Support Command, the police, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency into a ministerial-level 'National Cybersecurity Agency' directly under the president to eradicate hacking crimes."

According to Ha, North Korea routinely conducts indiscriminate hacking against South Korea. Recently, defense contractors and military technology research institutions such as the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have been hacked, presumably by North Korean actors. There is also a possibility that designs for the nuclear-powered submarine reactor and the KF-21 latest fighter jet were leaked. According to a UN report, from 2015 to 2019, North Korea stole $2 billion (approximately 2.04 trillion KRW) through 35 hacking incidents, and the amount related to virtual currency exceeds 350 billion KRW, Ha reported.

Ha emphasized, "Cyber hacking poses the greatest threat not only to our national security but also to the lives, safety, and property of our citizens," and stated, "I will make South Korea the safest country from hacking and other cyber crimes."