Yoon Meets Young White Hackers, Vows to Strengthen Talent Development and Industrial Capabilities

President Yoon Holds 'Dialogue with Young White Hackers'
Demonstration of Simulated Environment Hacking Defense Also Conducted

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with young white hackers on the 12th and expressed his determination to further strengthen the cultivation of cyber talent and the capabilities of the cyber industry.

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon held a 'Dialogue with Young White Hackers' at the Blue House State Guest House, attended by about 100 young white hackers and stakeholders from industry, academia, research, and government, the presidential office reported.

The event was attended by domestic and international major hacking defense competition winners, middle and high school students and university students participating in white hacker training programs, as well as employees from key institutions and companies such as the military, prosecution, and police.

Held alongside a luncheon, the event was organized to encourage the efforts and excellent achievements of our young white hackers who have swept domestic and international hacking defense competitions, including winning the world’s most prestigious 'DEFCON International Hacking Defense Competition' for two consecutive years, and to listen to diverse voices from the field of cyber talent cultivation such as white hackers, the presidential office said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Before the event, President Yoon observed a hacking defense demonstration in a simulated environment modeled after a smart city. During the demonstration, white hackers urgently responded to and recovered from cyber attacks and damages on key infrastructure such as smart city traffic lights, parking management, and power grids, restoring the system to normal.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon warned, "North Korea is actively conducting cyber illegal activities as a crucial funding source for nuclear missile development to threaten and disrupt peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Fake news indiscriminately spreading and reproducing in cyberspace also constantly threatens liberal democracy, the market economy, as well as our economy and administrative stability."

He continued, "Cybersecurity is directly linked to national security above all else. It is about protecting our democracy," and added, "If cybersecurity is threatened, serious disruptions can occur in both the economy and security."

President Yoon then promised to focus on cultivating cyber talent and strengthening the capabilities of the cyber industry. He stated, "The government will nurture excellent cyber talent through the Cyber 100,000 Talent Development Project and will put more effort into the development and capability enhancement of the cyber industry," pledging, "Promising young cyber talents will collaborate with the world’s top research institutions, study here, and expand international joint research with cyber powerhouses such as the United States and Germany to produce many globally competent talents."

He also emphasized, "We will create a foundation for Korean cybersecurity companies to grow into unicorn companies," and "We will foster the information security industry as a national strategic industry."

During the subsequent event, President Yoon listened to the experiences, concerns, and aspirations for the future of young white hackers and exchanged opinions with attendees on various measures to cultivate elite cyber talent and create a competitive industrial ecosystem.

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