Seoul warns crypto heists pose wider global security risks in AI era - Korea JoongAng Daily

A senior South Korean diplomat urged a cybersecurity overhaul, warning that AI-driven attacks and cryptocurrency thefts could threaten international security. Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo made the remarks during a cybersecurity conference co-hosted by South Korea and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna on Tuesday.

The warning follows accusations that North Korea stole more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance late last month. Jeong emphasized that such incidents carry "significant international security implications beyond the incidents simply being cybercrimes."

AI-driven threats

Jeong called for "a wholesale overhaul of the cybersecurity paradigm that befits the AI era" given that AI-driven cyberattacks could occur at an unprecedented pace and scale. He also pointed out the interconnectedness of security in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, stressing the importance of bilateral cooperation.

Global cooperation

Tuesday's conference was attended by some 100 people, including representatives from Japan, Australia, Thailand, Afghanistan and Qatar, as well as cybersecurity experts and officials from relevant international organizations. The Seoul government has held the conference annually since 2017 to discuss responses to transnational security challenges.