A breach every month raises doubts about South Korea's digital defenses | TechCrunch

"With no clear government agency acting as 'first responder' following a cyberattack, the country's cyber defenses are struggling to keep pace with its digital ambitions. "The government's approach to cybersecurity remains largely reactive, treating it as a crisis management issue rather than as critical national infrastructure," Brian Pak, the chief executive of Seoul-based cybersecurity firm Theori, told TechCrunch."

"Pak, who also serves as an advisor to SK Telecom's parent company's special committee on cybersecurity innovations, told TechCrunch that because government agencies tasked with cybersecurity work in silos, developing digital defenses and training skilled workers often get overlooked. The country is also facing a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts. "[That's] mainly because the current approach has held back workforce development. This lack of talent creates a vicious cycle. Without enough expertise, it's impossible to build and maintain the proactive defenses needed to stay ahead of threats," Pak continued."

South Korea combines blazing-fast internet and near-universal broadband with major global tech companies, making the country a prime target for hackers. A string of high-profile breaches has hit credit card firms, telecoms, startups, and government agencies, affecting large portions of the population. Ministries and regulators often scramble in parallel and sometimes defer to one another rather than coordinating a unified response. Fragmented government structures produce slow, uncoordinated reactions and no designated 'first responder' after attacks. The government's cybersecurity stance remains largely reactive, and agencies operating in silos neglect development of defenses and workforce training. A severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts creates a vicious cycle that undermines proactive defenses.

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