Korea mulls creation of cross-gov't cybersecurity command

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered a review of a government-wide cybersecurity body to coordinate responses to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. He said the body should cover public and private sectors and help detect threats early, share warnings and protect essential services. The review comes as intelligence authorities check public institutions and the science ministry inspects major private-sector infrastructure. Experts said the government must decide whether to create a legally established agency or strengthen existing coordination, and ensure any body has real authority.

On Oct. 22, the National Intelligence Service asked more than 2,100 central and local government bodies to check internet-facing systems, security monitoring and software patches.

The National Intelligence Service expects to finish inspections of internet-connected systems at key public-sector infrastructure facilities by mid-November.

The Ministry of Science and ICT is checking about 170 major private-sector infrastructure facilities, including telecommunications, online platforms and finance, with inspections expected to conclude by year-end.

Cybersecurity responsibilities are divided among the National Intelligence Service for critical public infrastructure, the science ministry for much of the private sector and the Financial Services Commission for financial-sector security.

Youm Heung-youl said a new agency could require legislation and political agreement, while Hwang Suk-jin called for regular penetration tests and on-site inspections instead of relying only on companies’ self-assessments.

Published Nov 3, 2026 3:49 pm KST

Updated Nov 3, 2026 4:29 pm KST

Experts call for stronger defense as cyberthreats grow

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered a review of plans to establish a government-wide cybersecurity agency to coordinate responses to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, as intelligence authorities conducted security checks across public institutions.

Lee told a Cabinet meeting that cyberattacks now pose serious risks not only to people’s daily lives but also to the economy and national security.

“We need to discuss establishing a government-wide response body covering both the public and private sectors,” Lee said. He urged officials to consider a powerful “cybersecurity czar” body capable of coordinating security functions now spread across different agencies.

The president said advances in artificial intelligence (AI) were making cyberattacks more sophisticated and widespread, exposing the limits of a system focused on routine inspections and responding only after breaches occur.

Citing a recent attack on cryptocurrency exchange Binance, Lee urged authorities to detect signs of cyberattacks early, share warnings and respond before damage spreads. He also called for stronger protection of essential services and infrastructure, including telecommunications, energy and finance.

The remarks came amid a series of cyber breaches in the financial sector, which have prompted security reviews across government agencies and private operators.

On Oct. 22, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) asked more than 2,100 central and local government bodies to inspect their systems using a security checklist, according to reports Tuesday.

Cybersecurity experts from the public and private sectors work at the Pangyo joint analysis room of the National Cybersecurity Cooperation Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 22, 2023. Courtesy of National Intelligence Service

The checks cover internet-facing systems, security monitoring and software patches. The NIS is separately inspecting vulnerabilities in internet-connected systems at key public-sector infrastructure facilities, with the work expected to finish by mid-November.

The Ministry of Science and ICT is also checking about 170 major private-sector infrastructure facilities, including those in telecommunications, online platforms and finance. Those inspections are expected to conclude by year-end.

Cybersecurity responsibilities are split among several agencies. The NIS oversees security at critical public infrastructure, the science ministry handles much of the private sector, and the Financial Services Commission oversees the financial-sector security.

Youm Heung-youl, professor emeritus of information security at Soonchunhyang University, said the government first needs to clarify what kind of organization Lee had in mind.

“Does the president mean a cybersecurity agency established by law, or a committee like the national AI strategy committee? That needs to be discussed,” Youm said.

He said a new agency could require legislation and political agreement, while strengthening the cybersecurity coordination role of the presidential National Security Office was another option.

If the government chooses a committee, Youm suggested that Lee chair it himself to give that body sufficient weight in Korea’s presidential system.

“I personally think it would be better for the president to chair it, even if it is a committee under the president,” he said, adding that he did not favor one organizational model over another.

“What matters most is that it has real authority,” Youm said, citing budgets, personnel and information sharing. “It shouldn’t be a committee that exists only in name.”

Hwang Suk-jin, a professor at Dongguk University’s Graduate School of Information Security, said the current ministry-by-ministry approach has limits in dealing with AI-powered attacks and simultaneous security breaches.

“When financial companies assess their own security using regulators’ checklists, actual vulnerabilities can be missed, or the checks can become a formality,” Hwang said.

He called for regular penetration tests and on-site inspections to identify vulnerabilities and verify that companies have addressed them, rather than relying solely on self-assessments.

周二，李在明总统下令对一个旨在协调应对日益复杂的网络攻击的政府网络安全机构进行审查。他表示，该机构应涵盖公共和私营部门，并有助于及早发现威胁、共享预警信息以及保护关键服务。此次审查正值情报部门对公共机构进行检查，科学部对主要私营部门基础设施进行检查之际。专家表示，政府必须决定是设立一个具有法律效力的机构，还是加强现有的协调机制，并确保任何机构都拥有真正的权力。

10月22日，国家情报院要求2100多个中央和地方政府机构检查面向互联网的系统、安全监控和软件补丁。

国家情报局预计将于 11 月中旬完成对重点公共部门基础设施中联网系统的检查。

科学和信息通信技术部正在检查约 170 个主要的私营部门基础设施，包括电信、在线平台和金融等领域，预计检查工作将于年底前完成。

网络安全责任由国家情报局负责关键公共基础设施，科学部负责大部分私营部门，金融服务委员会负责金融部门安全。

Youm Heung-youl 表示，成立新机构可能需要立法和政治协议，而 Hwang Suk-jin 则呼吁进行定期渗透测试和现场检查，而不是仅仅依赖公司的自我评估。

发布于2026年11月3日下午3:49（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月3日下午4:29（韩国标准时间）

专家呼吁加强防御，因为网络威胁日益增长

周二，韩国总统李在明在首尔青瓦台主持内阁会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

周二，李在明总统下令审查建立政府网络安全机构的计划，以协调应对日益复杂的网络攻击。与此同时，情报部门对公共机构进行了安全检查。

李在内阁会议上表示，网络攻击现在不仅对人们的日常生活构成严重威胁，而且对经济和国家安全也构成严重威胁。

李说：“我们需要讨论建立一个涵盖公共和私营部门的政府层面的应对机构。”他敦促官员们考虑设立一个强有力的“网络安全沙皇”机构，负责协调目前分散在不同机构的安全职能。

总统表示，人工智能 (AI) 的进步使得网络攻击更加复杂和广泛，暴露出仅关注例行检查并在发生漏洞后才做出响应的系统的局限性。

李显龙总理以近期加密货币交易所币安遭受的网络攻击为例，敦促当局尽早发现网络攻击迹象，发布预警，并在损失扩散前采取应对措施。他还呼吁加强对包括电信、能源和金融在内的关键服务和基础设施的保护。

在这些言论发表之际，金融领域发生了一系列网络安全漏洞事件，促使政府机构和私营运营商对安全问题进行了审查。

据周二的报道，10月22日，国家情报局（NIS）要求2100多个中央和地方政府机构使用安全检查清单对其系统进行检查。

2023年1月22日，来自公共和私营部门的网络安全专家在位于京畿道城南市的国家网络安全合作中心板桥联合分析室工作。图片由国家情报院提供。

此次检查涵盖面向互联网的系统、安全监控和软件补丁。国家信息安全局（NIS）正在单独检查关键公共部门基础设施中联网系统的漏洞，预计这项工作将于11月中旬完成。

科学和信息通信部还在检查约170家大型私营企业基础设施，包括电信、网络平台和金融等领域。这些检查预计将于年底前完成。

网络安全职责由多个机构分担。国家情报局负责关键公共基础设施的安全，科学部负责大部分私营部门的安全，金融服务委员会负责金融部门的安全。

顺天乡大学信息安全荣誉教授严兴烈表示，政府首先需要澄清李在镕心中指的是哪种类型的组织。

“总统指的是依法设立的网络安全机构，还是像国家人工智能战略委员会那样的委员会？这需要讨论，”尤姆说。

他表示，成立一个新机构可能需要立法和政治协议，而加强总统国家安全办公室的网络安全协调作用是另一种选择。

如果政府选择成立一个委员会，柳建议李光耀亲自担任主席，以使该机构在韩国的总统制中拥有足够的影响力。

“我个人认为，即使是总统领导的委员会，由总统亲自主持也会更好，”他说道，并补充说他并不偏袒任何一种组织模式。

“最重要的是它要有实权，”尤姆说，他列举了预算、人事和信息共享等方面的例子。“它不应该只是个徒有虚名的委员会。”

东国大学信息安全研究生院教授黄锡镇表示，目前各部委各自为政的做法在应对人工智能攻击和同时发生的安全漏洞方面存在局限性。

黄表示：“当金融公司使用监管机构的检查清单评估自身安全时，可能会忽略实际漏洞，或者检查会变成形式主义。”

他呼吁定期进行渗透测试和现场检查，以发现漏洞并验证公司是否已解决这些漏洞，而不是仅仅依靠自我评估。