▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (L) and Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young pose for a photo after signing an agreement on international development cooperation in the cultural sector and the global promotion of Korean culture in Seoul on June 23, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ The file photo, taken on July 21, 2026, shows the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry plans to more than quadruple its cybersecurity budget next year following a major cyberattack, while reducing its budget for official development assistance (ODA) for a second consecutive year, according to its latest budget plan released Tuesday.

The 2027 budget proposal, which will be submitted to the National Assembly, calls for 3.7 trillion won (US$2.7 billion) in annual spending by the foreign ministry, up 2.4 percent from this year's 3.62 trillion won.

The ministry has earmarked 15.5 billion won for cybersecurity next year, up from 3.8 billion won this year. The increase comes after a cyberattack on the Korea National Diplomatic Academy's online training system detected in July, which was believed to have exposed information on up to 10,000 diplomats and staff at overseas missions.

"Following the cyberattack, we have included funding to upgrade information protection and security monitoring systems and to review and strengthen our cybersecurity framework," a ministry official said.

The ministry's ODA budget is set to shrink 1 percent on-year to 2.16 trillion won in 2027, while the broader governmentwide ODA budget will also decline 2.1 percent to 5.24 trillion won.

It will mark the second consecutive annual decline, the first such case on record, following a decrease of more than 600 billion won this year.

The government said it plans to focus ODA resources on areas linked to the country's strategic interests and competitive strengths, including artificial intelligence (AI), culture, technology and supply chains.

"The adjustment reflects efforts to improve the quality and effectiveness of ODA programs, including the consolidation of some projects by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and restructuring those that are underperforming," the official said.

Funding for the maintenance and improvement of overseas diplomatic missions will rise 60 percent on-year to 9.7 billion won next year.

The funding will be used to strengthen the safety of diplomatic facilities and better protect South Korean nationals during wars, civil unrest, earthquakes and other emergencies overseas, the ministry said.

The ministry also seeks to allocate 2.3 billion won next year for preparations for the country's presidency of the Group of 20 in 2028 and 1.5 billion won for AI diplomacy.

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