South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. officials gathered in Washington, D.C. for a working-level meeting to address North Korea’s illicit cyber activities, including the theft of virtual assets and operations of information technology (IT) personnel.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on June 26 that the 5th Trilateral Working Group Meeting on Countering North Korean Cyber Threats was held in the U.S. capital from June 25-26.
The meeting drew approximately 60 attendees, including key figures such as Baek Yong-jin, Director-General of the Korean Peninsula Policy Bureau at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; David Wilezol, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Fumito Miyake, Japan’s Ambassador for Cyber Policy. Officials from relevant agencies specializing in North Korean nuclear and cyber issues were also present.
The three nations exchanged assessments on North Korea’s illegal cyber operations, including virtual asset theft, money laundering, and IT personnel activities. They also strategized on effective countermeasures through trilateral cooperation.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan committed to implementing the collaborative measures discussed during the meeting and agreed to maintain ongoing dialogue on these issues.