Tripartite Pact: U.S., South Korea, and Japan Unite Against North Korean Cyber Threats

South Korea, the United States, and Japan have agreed to establish a special consultative body to synchronize efforts in cybersecurity, particularly in countering the cyber activities of North Korea. The concept was previously deliberated at an international summit at Camp David in August.

“It is aimed at strengthening the three countries’ effective response capabilities against global cyber threats, including jointly countering North Korea’s cyber activities that are abused as a key source funding its nuclear and WMD programs,” the office said in a statement.

The office of Yoon Suk Yeol reported that the decision was made last week following negotiations in Washington between Anne Neuberger, the U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor, and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts. This initiative will encompass regular quarterly meetings in this new collaborative framework.

North Korea is frequently implicated in cyberattacks aimed at funding its missile and nuclear programs. As noted in a recent UN report, in 2022, hackers affiliated with the DPRK particularly targeted foreign companies for cryptocurrency theft. Employing sophisticated techniques, they expropriated record amounts compared to previous years.