South Korean Team Shockingly Takes Home Top Prize at Hackers World Cup—First Time Ever

On Monday, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Information Technology Research Institute (KITRI) announced that the Maple Mallard Magistrates (MMM), a South Korean team, secured first place in the 2024 DEFCON International Hacking Competition (DEFCON CTF 32). This victory underscores the government’s success in cultivating the next generation of global cybersecurity leaders.

This competition, associated with the American cybersecurity conference DEFCON, is the largest of its kind in the world. Out of 263 teams in the preliminary rounds, 12 advanced to the finals, which took place in Las Vegas, USA, from August 8 to 11.

The MMM team featured many participants from the government’s “White Hacker” training program, known as “Best of Best” (BoB). This program includes mentors and graduates. Along with 29 domestic talents, the team also included representatives from the U.S. (PPP) and Canada (Maple Bacon). Their remarkable performance has led them to win first place at DEFCON for three consecutive years, starting in 2022.

Four other domestic teams that advanced to the finals also included graduates and mentors from the BoB program.

Ryu Je Myung, head of the network policy office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “The MMM team’s victory for the third consecutive time proves the world-class skills of Korea’s white hackers,” adding, “The government will systematically implement the ‘Cyber 100,000 Talent Training Plan’ to actively nurture the best white hacker talents to be at the forefront of cyberspace.”

Meanwhile, the government has been offering nine months of training through BoB. This program includes mentoring from current security professionals, customized education, and team projects.