U.S., South Korea, Japan to step up actions on North Korea cyber threats
Source: Reuters
December 9, 2023 3:30 AM EST
SEOUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United States, South Korea and Japan agreed new initiatives on Saturday to respond to North Korea's threats in cyberspace, including cryptocurrency abuses and space launches, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. The three countries' national security advisers met in Seoul as Pyongyang warned that it would deploy more spy satellites.
Sullivan said the meeting followed up on commitments set forth at a Camp David trilateral summit hosted by President Joe Biden in August, where leaders of the U.S. and its two key Asian allies pledged to deepen security and economic cooperation.
"We've also launched new trilateral initiatives to counter the threats posed by the DPRK, from its cybercrime and cryptocurrency money laundering to its reckless space and ballistic missile tests," Sullivan told reporters, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
His Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba said North Korea's "illicit cyber activities" had emerged as most recent challenges, calling them "a source of funds" for the isolated state's nuclear missile development. The three countries' coordinated efforts will target potential threats of economic coercion, having completed work on a supply-chain early warning system, agreed to at Camp David, in critical minerals and rechargeable batteries, Sullivan said.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-skorea-japan-security-advisors-seoul-trilateral-meeting-2023-12-09/