Join Cheol: "Swift Response to Security Incidents... Need for Special Judicial Police"

National Assembly Forum on Strengthening Responses to Cybersecurity Incidents
Lawmakers, Government, Academia, and Industry Gather to Seek Solutions

Join Chul, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

With large-scale cyber security incidents such as the SKT hacking, KT micropayment accident, and Lotte Card data breach occurring one after another, calls are growing within the government and the National Assembly to completely overhaul the nation’s initial response system. In particular, as passive cooperation from companies and institutional limitations have repeatedly delayed early responses and caused public damage to snowball, there is increasing demand for the introduction of a "special judicial police for cyber security" system to swiftly prevent the spread of damage.

The "National Assembly Forum on Strengthening Responses to Cybersecurity Incidents," hosted by Assemblyman Join Cheol of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), was held at the National Assembly at 10 a.m. on September 25. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties, as well as the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), participated, creating a platform for bipartisan cooperation and underscoring the importance of resolving cyber security issues.

According to KISA data, the number of reported security breaches in the first half of this year reached 1,034 cases, a 2.2-fold increase in just three years. However, only 337 cases, or about 30%, actually received technical support from KISA. Experts pointed out a critical flaw in the current system: when companies are reluctant to disclose breaches or cooperate in submitting data, even specialized agencies find it difficult to conduct on-site investigations and identify causes. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and advanced, delays in initial response are leading to secondary and tertiary damages, resulting in significant social and economic losses.

Participants at the forum agreed that under current law, even when companies report breaches, responses are often limited to basic actions such as blocking attacks or deleting information. This falls short of fundamental solutions such as tracking hackers, blocking illegal distribution channels, and preventing similar incidents from recurring. They especially criticized the current system for missing the "golden time" for investigation, as digital evidence in cyberspace can disappear or be manipulated in an instant, making immediate investigative authority crucial.

The forum included in-depth discussions on granting special judicial police authority to cyber security agencies such as the Ministry of Science and ICT or the Korea Internet & Security Agency. If a special judicial police system with investigative authority in specific fields is introduced, it is expected to enhance the effectiveness of incident response through information gathering, source tracking, and rapid containment measures.

Assemblyman Join Cheol, who hosted the event, emphasized, "Cybersecurity crimes are a serious issue affecting public safety and national security. Despite repeated incidents, investigations are delayed and public damage spreads due to passive cooperation from companies and institutional limitations. We must strengthen our security capabilities through extraordinary measures, such as granting special judicial police authority to agencies responsible for cyber security, including the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency."

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