Analysis: South Korea’s diplomacy hides cyber security weaknesses
Cyber security in South Korea is a growing concern and can't always be covered by deft diplomacy
Event or Trend: The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ranking of South Korea in Tier 1 of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) hides the lack of a comprehensive cyber security culture among the wider population.
Significance: Cyber security in Korea is of growing concern as the nation becomes increasingly digitalized and vulnerable to sophisticated cyber attacks. Despite the strong technological infrastructure and the promotion of cyber security diplomatic cooperation, public awareness regarding cyber threats remains low.
The issue is critical because it exposes not only individuals but also businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and critical infrastructure to potential cyber attack. A lack of public understanding of basic cyber security practices, such as recognizing phishing attempts, maintaining strong passwords, or safeguarding personal data, amplifies vulnerabilities. This limited awareness poses a direct risk to Korea’s national security and economic interests.
Additionally, it hampers the country's diplomatic and security cooperation efforts with international partners, as vulnerabilities within its cyber landscape make Korea an attractive target for adversaries. Addressing this weakness is essential to building a robust cyber defense framework.
Analysis: Cyber security in Korea faces systemic weaknesses due to the absence of a well-embedded cyber security culture, which can be attributed to low levels of public awareness and training. This issue can be broken down into three key factors:
Lack of public awareness: Despite the rise in cyber threats, the general population shows limited understanding of the dangers posed by cyber attack. This is evident in the frequency of basic errors such as the use of weak passwords, neglect of software updates, and a lack of knowledge on how to secure devices from malware.
Even government agencies involved in national security have limited awareness of the basics of cyber security, utilize insecure personal email accounts; accept file submissions on USB devices; utilize outdated and compromised software platforms; and discuss in-confidence and classified subjects over widely used compromised messaging apps lacking end-to-end encryption.
Additionally, in one of the most glaring weaknesses, most South Korean government and corporate bounty programs (payments made to individuals and/or organizations finding security vulnerabilities) will not pay foreign nationals. This understandably de-incentivizes global vulnerability testing and incentivizes public distribution of vulnerabilities.
Insufficient cyber security education: Korea has invested heavily in technological advancements, yet education on safe cyber practices has not been given the same priority. While some institutions offer basic guidance, there is no widespread or consistent public education program aimed at cyber security. This leaves large portions of the population susceptible to cyber attacks that exploit human error, such as phishing and social engineering.
Additionally, a large number of high risk venues, including government agencies, corporations, educational institutions, and think-tanks do not consistently promote or train on cyber security best practices. As a result, individuals in the workplace often hold minimal understanding of safe cyber practice. In workplaces that do take cyber threats more seriously, there is a tendency to limit limit cyber security training to dedicated IT staff rather than the entire workforce. This leaves mainstream employees unaware of how their actions jeopardize the workplace.
Over reliance on domestic capability. A large number of government agencies and educational institutions rely heavily on domestic or in-house software platforms and cyber defense teams, some of which are notoriously inadequate and are unable to recognize attacks in the modern, highly complex cyber security environment. In many cases, the over-reliance on domestic or in-house software platforms can be traced to preference trading and cronyism, which means change is unlikely without adequately enforced national cyber security standards. Educational institutions, reflecting their role in national security research and policy making, are a prime target for state actors. They are yet to implement nationally directed cyber security or foreign interference standards or guidance.
South Korea's vulnerability to cyber threats impacts its international standing, particularly in the realm of diplomatic and security cooperation. South Korea has put in substantial effort to promote diplomatic cooperation in the field with cyber security integrated into multiple bilateral and plurilateral cooperation agreements.
The failure to address cyber risks damages trust with key international partners who expect rigorous cyber standards, especially as part of cooperative efforts on sensitive issues like military coordination, trade, and regional security. Weak cyber security measures also raises the threat of Korea being perceived as a liability in intelligence sharing.
The ITU ranking of South Korea in Tier 1 of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) demonstrates the capacity of South Korea’s bureaucracy to obfuscate and cover over weaknesses. Despite historical examples of gross inadequacy and mismanagement, Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGO) still lend a degree of credibility to a national administration and are strongly pursued by South Korea’s successive governments.
Without improving community awareness and establishing a cybersecurity culture, Korea will remain a prime target for cyber criminals and state actors. Much of the infrastructure that underpins political decision making and government policy making is compromised. The absence of widespread understanding and proactive defensive measures will potentially also leave critical infrastructure exposed, with possible widespread disruptions in areas such as banking, healthcare, and government services.
Outlook: In the short term (0-12 months), the lack of public cyber security awareness will likely lead to an increasing number of cyber-attacks targeting individuals and businesses. Over the medium term (1-5 years), unless significant educational initiatives are implemented, Korea’s vulnerability to major cyber threats will persist, potentially jeopardizing international relations and economic stability. In the long term (5-10 years), without systemic changes in cyber education, Korea may find itself significantly disadvantaged in an increasingly interconnected and digitized global security landscape.