▲ A delegation consisting of government officials of Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines poses for a photo with Kim Gunn (C), South Korea's top nuclear envoy, during a seminar on North Korea's illicit cyber activities in Seoul on Oct. 26, 2023, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-ASEAN-NK cyberthreats

Foreign ministry holds seminar for ASEAN countries against N.K. cyberthreats

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Friday it has invited a delegation of five Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to a seminar program designed to help them better deal with North Korea's evolving illegal cyber activities.

Government officials from Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are visiting Seoul this week on a three-day trip until Friday for the seminar co-hosted by the Korea Information Security Industry Association and the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the ministry said.

The ministry launched the program after North Korea stole some US$620 million worth of cryptocurrency last year by hacking into Axie Infinity, a token-based online video game developed by Vietnamese company Sky Mavis.

The incident has raised serious concerns among the Southeast Asian nations over Pyongyang's increasing cyberthreats.

In the meeting with the participants Wednesday, Lee Jun-il, director-general for North Korean nuclear affairs, called for ASEAN countries to pay special attention to the North's illicit cyber activities and continue to cooperate with South Korea over the issue.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

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