ABSTRACT
The Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea) has earned fame as a “strong Internet nation,” as the country contains cutting-edge digital technology, efficient computer networks, and the world’s top high-speed Internet penetration rate. This chapter addresses the following questions: What challenges has South Korea faced in the cybersecurity realm? How effective has the nation’s cybersecurity strategy been? What measures are necessary for the strengthening of its cybersecurity strategy? Answering these questions, it highlights three primary cybersecurity challenges that South Korea confronts: the inherently vulnerable nature of cybersecurity, North Korean cyber threats, and the US–China cyber arms race. The chapter then looks into the contents of South Korea’s cybersecurity strategy ranging from the National Cybersecurity Master Plan forged in 2011 to the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Basic Plan adopted in 2019. South Korea is affected by an intensifying cyber arms race between the United States and China.
