South Korea and other Asian countries have agreed to launch a joint crackdown on cybercrimes, Seoul's police agency said Sunday, amid growing concerns over transnational cybersecurity challenges.

The Korean National Police Agency said that the countries, led by Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, will carry out the "Week of Action," a scheme to clamp down on cybercrimes, including the spread of ransomware.

Ransomware refers to a type of malicious software that bans access to the files saved on a computer until the victims pay a certain amount of money, usually processed through bitcoins, a kind of virtual money exchangeable online.

Interpol will determine when and how the envisioned crackdown will be carried out, the police agency said.

The decision over the joint crackdown in cyberspace was made during the International Symposium on Cybercrime Response, an annual forum hosted by the KNPA. The three-day forum ended in Seoul on Friday.

Seoul has been pushing to bolster its cyberdefense capabilities in recent years as Pyongyang has launched a host of attacks on South Korean corporate and government websites by mobilizing its specially trained personnel, including those based in China and other foreign countries.

The reclusive regime has denied responsibility for past cybercrimes, upbraiding Seoul for "fabricating" information to blame Pyongyang for the intrusions. (Yonhap)