열린장관실

Statement by H.E. Cho Tae-yul

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of Korea

United Nations Security Council

High Level Open Debate

(June 20, 2024)

Good morning.

I would like to begin by thanking Secretary-General Guterres for his presence and briefing today.

Let me also thank Mr. Stephane Duguin of the CyberPeace Institute, and Professor Nnenna Ifeanyi-Ajufo of Leeds Beckett University for sharing their insights and expertise.

My deep appreciation also goes out to all the representatives of Member States for participating in this High Level Open Debate.

Today’s meeting marks only the second time in the UN’s history where the Security Council is formally meeting to discuss threats to international peace and security from cyberspace. The Council convened its first-ever open debate on this topic three years ago in June 2021.

To be sure, significant milestones have been achieved outside the Security Council. Bodies established by the General Assembly advanced norms on responsible state behavior in cyberspace.

A number of Arria Formula meetings have also been held on cybersecurity – the most recent being the

April meeting that the Republic of Korea co-hosted with the United States and Japan.

The Secretary-General has also demonstrated strong leadership, calling for measures to deescalate cyber-related risks and establishing the High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, of which Korea is a part.

But developments since the first Security Council meeting three years ago sharply underscore why the Council, now more than ever, must proactively step up its engagement on threats emanating from cyberspace.  The world has seen –in addition to myriad cross-border cyberattacks– the outbreak of major armed conflicts where attacks were carried out not just on the traditional battlefield, but also in cyberspace.

The world has also seen how explosive advancements in artificial intelligence are dramatically empowering nefarious actors in their ability to cause further chaos and disruptions in cyberspace. The world has seen how malicious cyber activities can have real world impacts by undermining confidence in the integrity of political elections, the security of critical infrastructure and the fabric of peace and security. As a matter of fact, a Member State even had to declare a state of emergency after being subjected to ransomware attacks originating from another country.

Cyber means are fundamentally dual use in nature: anyone with malicious intent can introduce new threats or trigger, amplify or accelerate existing threats.

Alvin Toffler, a famous futurist, once noted, “Our technological powers increase, but the side effects and potential hazards also escalate.” 

The Republic of Korea is no stranger to the threats posed by malicious cyber-activities and its impact on security. 

For the development of the weapons of mass destruction that imperil Korea are largely funded through such activities. The most recent report of the Panel of Experts of the 1718 Committee cites how 40 percent of the DPRK’s WMD programs are funded by illicit cyber means. 

The Panel was investigating some 60 suspected cyberattacks by the DPRK on cryptocurrency companies between 2017 and 2023. 

Sadly, the Panel is now defunct for reasons we all know.

Through digital means, the DPRK systematically evades the very sanctions adopted by this Council and challenges the international non-proliferation regime that is integral to the Council’s work.

At a time when peace and security in the physical world and cyber world are increasingly intertwined, the Security Council must not bury its head in the sand. At the very least, it must keep pace with trends outside the Council and strengthen its engagement in response to the real and present threats from cyberspace.

Just as the Security Council and the General Assembly work in synergy when it comes to discussions on small arms, terrorism, and nonproliferation, the Security Council and the General Assembly can likewise carve out complementary roles on cybersecurity.

While there is as yet no authoritative approach to the path forward, the Republic of Korea would like to make the following three suggestions for the Security Council’s consideration.

First, the Council needs to have a clear diagnosis of the present situation. In order to do so, the Security Council can request a report on a regular basis to consider how cyber threats intersect with the Council’s mandate, and how evolving cyber threats impact international peace and security.

Second, the prescription that follows must encompass the whole range of the Council’s files.

Cybersecurity could be mainstreamed into the Council’s agenda in a manner similar to other crosscutting issues such as WPS(Women, Peace, and Security), youth, and climate change.

As many Member States pointed out at the Arria Formula Meeting in April, there is a direct linkage between the malicious use of information and communications technology and the various issues under the Security Council’s remit, including sanctions, non-proliferation, and terrorism.

In this vein, the Council can consider cybersecurity as a major component that cuts across its regional and thematic files or issues.

Third, and in the mid-to-long term, the Security Council should be able to come up with an appropriate “treatment” for the challenge. 

The Council can convene meetings on malicious cyber activities that breach international law and harm peace and security.

Furthermore, it could urge all relevant actors to use cyber technology in a responsible manner, and pursue accountability through the tools at the Council’s disposal.

It goes without saying that the Security Council should develop a program of work on cybersecurity in a way that is complementary with the ongoing discussions in the General Assembly.

The Security Council has a history of charting its own agenda in line with the emergence of new security challenges. Little did the architects of the UN Charter imagine that climate change, human rights abuses as well as the pandemic would become the province of the Security Council.

The Security Council must confront cybersecurity head on if it is to remain relevant and agile in addressing one of the most pressing security challenges of our time. I sincerely hope today’s Open Debate will generate momentum to make this happen.

Before I conclude, let me just add one final point.

The borderless nature of cyberspace exposes all nations to the harms of malicious cyber activities –whether digitally advanced or vulnerable. 

International security in cyberspace is only as strong as its weakest link.

The humanitarian-development-peace nexus is therefore no less real in the cyber world. A cyberspace free from malicious cyber activities will facilitate digital development and unleash digital opportunities that ultimately contribute to the attainment of SDGs.

An open, secure, accessible and peaceful cyberspace in which cyber threats can be effectively deterred will also protect freedom and human rights online.

Thank you very much. /END