[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Enhancing Cyber Defense... Is the Ministry of National Defense Relocation Okay?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] As the relocation site of the presidential office was confirmed to be Yongsan, Seoul, voices raising concerns about security gaps are growing louder. There are also concerns that cyber security could be unstable if the sequential relocation of the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, known as the 'heart of national security,' becomes a reality.

On the 21st, the Ministry of National Defense raised the Defense Cyber Protection Condition (CPCON) from level Ⅳ to level Ⅲ as of 9 a.m. Raising the defense cyber protection condition is the first time in seven months since last August, due to concerns that the recent repeated threats of North Korea's ballistic missile-like projectiles could expand into the cyber domain.

The problem is the potential security gap caused by the military's sequential relocation. With the presidential office confirmed to be at the Ministry of National Defense, core departments of the Ministry are considering relocating to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the old government building, and military units in Seoul, except for the Intelligence and Operations Headquarters within the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are also expected to move entirely to the Namtaeryeong Capital Defense Command in the future.

As some organizations of the security heartland scatter, the military and intelligence authorities are closely monitoring the possibility of concentrated provocations around the 110th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's birthday (referred to as the 'Day of the Sun' in North Korea) on the 15th of next month. Additionally, the first half of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises is expected to be held around mid-next month, leading to speculation that North Korea may use the joint exercises as a pretext to escalate the level of provocations.

Provocative movements have been detected 'simultaneously and repeatedly,' and the military authorities must maintain an unwavering 24-hour readiness posture, yet they are in a situation where they have to move 'moving boxes.' Since relocating military facilities requires more precise work than general government departments, there is also concern about the risk of unexpected accidents due to the 'short-term relocation.'

Inside and outside the military, there are concerns that security incidents such as hacking could occur during the process of moving and rebuilding the military's internal computer network (intranet), which is designed more complexly than general government departments. The intranet is built separately from the internet network to prevent hacking.

The Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff exchange documents and conduct work using the intranet. Once the relocation begins, work using the intranet is expected to be limited for a while. The Allied Command and Control System (AKJCCS), which connects the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the United States Forces Korea, is also expected to require rebuilding in some departments.

A military source expressed concern, saying, "Even if the network construction work is planned in advance and relocated step by step, there is a risk of accidents due to small mistakes, but if the relocation happens suddenly like this, accidents can occur."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.