Jeong Yeon-du, chief envoy for North Korea’s nuclear issue: “Virtual asset theft is an international security issue”

[Financial News] Jeong Yeon-du, the government’s chief envoy for North Korea’s nuclear issue and director of MOFA’s Bureau of Diplomatic Strategy and Intelligence, said on the 11th that the recent spate of virtual asset thefts poses a serious international security problem. He made the remarks in his opening address at the Korea-OSCE Cybersecurity Conference, held on the 10th (local time) at the headquarters of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria.
A virtual asset hacking incident involving a record-high amount of around 8.4 trillion won, which North Korea appears to have attempted recently, has underscored the growing importance of cybersecurity worldwide.
Jeong also stressed that as artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, AI-enabled cyberattacks could occur at unprecedented speed and scale, making a sweeping overhaul of the cybersecurity paradigm necessary.
About 100 people attended the meeting, jointly hosted by MOFA and the OSCE, including representatives of OSCE member states and partner countries, officials from international organizations, and cybersecurity experts. Under the theme “The Nexus Between Artificial Intelligence and Cyberspace,” participants discussed the opportunities and threats AI brings to cybersecurity, as well as ways to cooperate.
At the conference, officials from law enforcement agencies and international organizations, along with experts, discussed ways to respond to cybercrime and criminal and terrorist activities that are becoming increasingly sophisticated through AI technology.
Participants shared the challenges facing law enforcement authorities and agreed on the need to strengthen efforts to prevent crime and terrorism and enhance international cooperation while respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.

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