National Security Office 3rd Deputy Visits US... Cooperation on North Korea Virtual Asset Theft and Ransomware Response

Wang Yoon-jong, the 3rd Deputy Director of the National Security Office, is briefing on the AI Seoul Summit at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Wang Yoon-jong, the 3rd Deputy Director of the National Security Office, visited Washington D.C. at the invitation of the White House to discuss ways to closely cooperate with the international community on cyber threats, including North Korea's virtual asset theft.

According to the Presidential Office on the 3rd, Deputy Director Wang visited Washington D.C. for a 2-night, 3-day trip from the 30th of last month until the day before. He discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of cybersecurity with key U.S. NSC officials, including Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology.

He also attended the 4th Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) meeting. CRI is an international consultative body established in 2021 under U.S. leadership to respond to global ransomware threats, with 68 countries participating.

At this CRI meeting, key U.S. officials such as Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, and Richard Verma, Under Secretary of State for Management, emphasized the need for the international community to jointly respond to global ransomware threats and proposed responsible behavior and close cooperation among participating countries in cyberspace.

The U.S. Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) noted that damages mainly occur in the commercial, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors, and especially requested significant attention to threats against healthcare and essential services.

Our delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with participating countries on ransomware response methods and strengthening international cooperation, and also participated in the joint statement on ransomware response.

Through a bilateral meeting with Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor, Deputy Director Wang discussed capacity building in the Indo-Pacific region, IoT device security, maritime cybersecurity, and agreed to deepen South Korea-U.S. cooperation on North Korea's virtual asset theft.

The National Security Office stated, "We will closely cooperate with the international community on cyber threats, including ransomware," and added, "We will continue to strive to safely protect the daily lives of our citizens through this."