Ranking US official visits S. Korea to discuss cyber security: NSC

WASHINGTON -- A senior White House official visited South Korea this week to discuss ways to enhance the countries' cooperation in countering cybercrimes committed by actors such as North Korea, the White House National Security Council (NSC) said Thursday.

Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor (DNSA) for cyber and emerging technologies, traveled to Seoul from Monday through Wednesday, according to NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

"During her meetings with Korean counterparts, DNSA Neuberger highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to working with our partners to secure critical infrastructure and government systems; prepare for cyber incidents; reinforce respect for international law and norms of responsible behavior; and cooperate to deter disruptive and destabilizing cyber activity," Watson said in a press release.

"She also highlighted the US commitment to cooperation with the ROK to combat cybercrime and associated money laundering, secure cryptocurrency, build capacity, and share information," she added.

ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

Neuberger underscored the need to address cyber threats posed by North Korea.

"They use cyber to be, we estimate, up to a third of their funds to fund their missile program," the NSC official said of North Korea's illegal cyber activities, also calling it a "major issue."

"So given that cyber is such a core driver of revenue, it's something we must address," she added, while speaking in a webinar hosted by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank.

Speaking on her recent trip to Seoul, Neuberger said her discussions there included talks on how the US and South Korea can "work together to make it harder for DPRK, North Korea to gain funds to support its missile program."

"We also talked about how to better protect against various nation, state actors and highlighted some of the current areas where we can partner and improve our partnership together," she said.

The US has said North Korea is becoming increasingly engaged in illicit cyber activities to secure sources of hard currency that will help finance its illegal weapons programs.

Washington currently has dozens of North Korean individuals and entities that it says are "state-sponsored cyber actors" on its sanctions list.

Neuberger's trip to Seoul follows President Joe Biden's visit there in May for a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, less than two weeks after Yoon took office.

The NSC spokesperson noted Biden and Yoon had agreed to expand their "bilateral cooperation on regional and international cyber issues and confront cyber threats, including from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," referring to North Korea by its official name. (Yonhap)