Taeyoungho "Our Government Silent on North Korea Hacking... Is the September 19 Military Agreement Still Valid?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, criticized the South Korean government for remaining silent after Korea Aerospace Industries and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute were exposed to hacking attacks from North Korea.

On the 9th, Tae stated on Facebook, "It is truly pitiful that the Moon Jae-in administration not only takes beatings from North Korea in reality but also suffers attacks in virtual (cyber) space."

Referring to the U.S. Department of State's expression of concern over the recent North Korean hacking, Tae criticized, "While other countries worry about our security and call for international cooperation, our government, the party directly involved, has remained silent and issued no official statement regarding this incident."

Furthermore, he pointed out that North Korea's hacking violates the spirit of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement. Tae explained, "According to the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement signed in 2018, 'South and North agreed to completely cease all hostile acts against each other that could be sources of military tension and conflict in all areas including land, sea, and air.' Despite the agreement clearly stating 'all areas,' North Korea's use of 'cyber space' to carry out terrorism itself shows that North Korea has no interest in implementing the inter-Korean military agreement."

Tae urged, "Despite this reality, the government and ruling party are trying to push for the parliamentary ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration and a parliamentary resolution urging a declaration of the end of the war," adding, "Please come to your senses and pursue a principled policy toward North Korea, and strongly respond to North Korea's cyber terrorism."