The US ambassador to South Korea stressed Thursday the importance of international cooperation in building resilience against cybersecurity threats, including those posed by North Korea.
Amb. Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank based in Seoul.
"The ever growing scope of cybersecurity means that no country can get far on its own. This is why the United States has bilateral and multilateral engagements with key allies and partners," the ambassador said.
Highlighting North Korea as one of the "malign actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in cyberspace to achieve their ends," Goldberg emphasized the importance of trilateral efforts with Seoul and Tokyo.
"International cooperation, especially with like-minded allies like the Republic of Korea, is vital to building resilience in our shared cyber ecosystem," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Emphasizing that this year is particularly significant as over 50 countries worldwide are holding high-stakes elections, Goldberg called for more discussion at the international level.
"It's not an understatement to say the strength of our democracy depends on the strength of our cybersecurity infrastructure," he said.
Lim Jong-in, special advisor to President Yoon Suk Yeol on cyber issues, also highlighted the importance of trilateral cooperation in the face of potential cyber attacks.
Citing hostile nations, such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, Lim underscored the necessity of maintaining robust digital systems under the concept of "digital solidarity."
