President Lee Jae-myung on the 6th ordered officials to "determine swiftly and clearly how these breaches occurred," referring to recent leaks of personal data at financial companies and public institutions.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House, Lee said, "Public concern and anxiety are very high because some of these hacking attacks have been found to use artificial intelligence." He added, "Hacking has now become easy even for those without special skills, thanks to AI," and instructed relevant authorities to "concentrate personnel and resources to minimize the damage."
Lee also said hacking techniques are growing more sophisticated as AI advances, and that the scope of damage is spreading across all fronts on a scale difficult to compare with the past. "Not only the government and companies but society as a whole must take the current situation seriously and remain especially vigilant," he said. Cleaning up after an incident is no longer enough to counter cyber threats that evolve by the day, he added, calling for security capabilities that can detect attacks in advance and block them preemptively.
"Relevant ministries must promptly review the security systems of the private sector as well as core national systems in their entirety, and immediately implement any necessary remedial measures," Lee said. "Speed is of the essence." He noted that technology is advancing so fast that it is hard to keep up, and said that makes it all the more urgent to build capabilities quickly. He also stressed the need to accelerate the development and distribution of AI technology specialized for cybersecurity.
