3 December 2024

Why South Korea is now a bigger player in US-China cyberwarfare


For three days earlier this year, defence personnel from more than 20 Nato and Indo-Pacific countries descended on the South Korean capital to work out what a regional cyberwar might look like.

In the APEX war gaming, critical infrastructure of multiple allies was attacked and participants had to share and verify information to come up with defensive strategies and countermeasures.

The APEX exercise is one of a series of multinational cybersecurity drills and summits that South Korea has taken part in over the past year.

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South Korea also attended the annual Nato-supported Cyber Champions Summit in Sydney, Australia in September, and will host the event next year. In addition, it took part in the Locked Shields live-fire cyber defence exercise with Nato members in April.

While China did not take part in any of these events, it was an obvious presence.

Observers say South Korea has been working more closely with the United States and its allies in a cybersecurity strategy aimed at China - one that looks set to deepen.

Chinese military observer Liang Yongchun said the impact of this growing cooperation on security in East Asia "should not be underestimated".

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