The United States and South Korea held cybersecurity talks to boost cooperation in a wide range of areas, including tackling cyber hacking and other crimes, the State Department said.

Christopher Painter, the department's coordinator for cyber issues, led the U.S. delegation in the fourth U.S.-Korea Bilateral Cyber Consultations. His team also included officials from the National Security Council, and the departments of justice, defense and homeland security, the department said in a statement.

Led by International Security Affairs Ambassador Shin Maeng-ho, South Korea's interagency team included officials from the National Police Agency, the Justice Ministry and the Korea Internet and Security Agency, the department said.

The talks "affirmed the benefits of a whole-of-government approach" between the two countries on cyber policy and reinforced cooperation "on a wide range of cyber issues including cooperation on cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, capacity building, information sharing, research and development, military-to-military cyber cooperation, cybercrime, international security issues in cyberspace," it said.

The meeting also reaffirmed shared principles that support an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable cyberspace, the department said. (Yonhap)