Policymakers and experts from the European Union and Korea on Friday discussed ways to address growing threats from cybercrime at the EU-Korea High-Level Conference on Cyber Security.

Delivering opening remarks at the conference, Park Yun-kyu, second vice minister of South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT, highlighted the impact of generative artificial intelligence in enabling cyber threats, like ransomware, to infiltrate systems, citing World Economic Forum reports.

The WEF’s Global Risks Report 2023 identified cybercrime and cyber insecurity as significant risks to humanity over the next 10 years.

"Generative AI such as Chat GPT has made it easier for cyber threats to creep into our systems. Ransomware is getting commercialized through software and cryptocurrency and even in conflicts between countries," said Park.

Park discussed the Korean government's cyber threat response system, cybersecurity capacity, new security systems, core security technologies and large-scale Internet of Things projects, underscoring the Korean government's efforts at developing a robust cybersecurity workforce through training programs for top security developers and ethical hackers.

"Europe and the Republic of Korea are facing a similar cyber threat. We all know, of course, cyber-malware (is on the) rise: worms, fishing, spyware or trident horses," said EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton in his keynote speech at the event.

Breton commended international cooperation to enhance collective resilience against cyber threats and acknowledged Korea's cybersecurity expertise.

He proposed a closer EU-Korea partnership on the cybersecurity front.

Meanwhile, South Korea's international security ambassador, Cho Hyun-woo, shared details on the Korean government's efforts to support cyber capacity building in partner countries.

"Korea and the EU can work together to develop joint capacity-building projects in the near future," he said.

The high-level conference was co-organized by the Swedish Embassy in Korea, the EU Delegation to Korea, and the Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia project.

Funded by the EU, the ESIWA project aims to enhance security cooperation and awareness of the EU as a security provider on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, maritime security and crisis management.