Cyber Week was organized by the British Embassy in Seoul and featured a variety of events aimed at promoting collaboration between South Korea and the United Kingdom on cybersecurity. It brought together experts from the U.K. and South Korean governments as well as the business sector.
According to Colin Crooks, British ambassador to Seoul, over the past decade, the society, industries, and organizations have undergone profound change as a result of the pace and scale of global digital development. More people have access to prosperity and innovation in free-market democratic regimes thanks to rapid technical breakthroughs and concomitant cost reductions that have lowered barriers to global connectivity.
However, malicious actors who want to undermine democracy and interfere with free markets through the use of technology are increasingly posing a threat to society.
“As a responsible nation, we must work closely with their friends and allies, and South Korea has a big role to play in this. The threats in cyberspace are the same for everyone. The British Embassy hopes to demonstrate the U.K.’s interest in building a partnership with South Korea across the full range of cybersecurity areas.” said Crooks.
On the other hand, Gemma Ungoed-Thomas, director of State Threats and Cyber Security in the U.K. Cabinet Office, outlined the British vision for responsible cyber power in a keynote address.
“It is probably quite natural that when I say cyber power, many of you immediately think of offensive cyber capabilities or military action. However, U.K.’s 2021 National Cyber Strategy acknowledges that in the modern digital age, the concept of cyber power is far more multifaceted than are offensive or defensive” said Ungoed-Thomas
She described how the presence and conduct of the U.K. and South Korea in cyberspace have become essential to the achievement of foreign policy objectives. The U.K. purposefully utilized the narrative of “responsible cyber power” to focus on establishing the kind of nation they want to be, both for their own systems and on the international stage. It is a sign that the U.K. has consciously chosen to link its cyber capabilities and online participation with its duty to uphold and advance its political principles.
Moreover, according to her, a shared space for all users is the UK’s ultimate goal for cyberspace. In order to assist global peace, prosperity, and human rights, they aim to make sure that design development and broader human engagement in cyberspace do so.
“To live up to this vision and to realize the full range of benefits that cyberspace offers for our collective systems, we need to continue to enhance collaboration with our closest allies like South Korea.” said Ungoed-Thomas
