외교부

I would first like to express my deep appreciation to the Government of the United Kingdom for organizing this important forum. We are gathering here at a most timely moment when cyberspace issues are assuming ever greater significance and presence in our strategic and policy dialogues.

I would also like to express my gratitude to you, Mr. Chairman, for your thoughtful consideration for me to address at this important conference on cyberspace.

I would like to share some thoughts on the opportunities, benefits, as well as challenges presented by the global digital society. I would then like to reflect briefly on possible ways that the international community can move forward together.

(The Opportunities and Challenges of Cyberspace)

If I may, I begin with my personal experience relating to cyberspace. I consider myself to be one of the main beneficiaries of cyberspace. I make the use of my Twitter in explaining Korea's foreign policies and communicating with people online, and in return receiving constructive feedback from them.

At the same time, however, I was once a target and victim of the malicious use of cyberspace. Perhaps I am one of those having received the most vicious comments on the Web a few years ago when I had completed a negotiation on a very sensitive product in Korea.

Hundreds of thousands of vicious and even life-threatening comments flooded in the cyberspace, my e-mails, my cyber accounts, my cellphone as well as comment-posting sections of on-line newspapers.

It became painfully clear to me that the information and communication technology that support cyberspace - and indeed our lives - is a doubled-edged sword. On the one hand, cyberspace offers us new opportunities and benefits - ones that mankind has never previously enjoyed. The Cyber Revolution of this century is affecting our lives in every imaginable way, enabling innovations, prosperity, and progress.

But on the other hand, the digital society also brings with it increased vulnerabilities and adverse effects that stem from our growing dependence on the globally interconnected system. They range from socially adverse effects such as cyber bullying and cyber stalking to cyber crime and even state-sponsored attacks on critical national infrastructures. The complexities and elusiveness of these challenges are the focus of major concerns in today's networked world. More recent and emerging technologies like SNS and cloud computing are further deepening our reliance on ICTs, inviting additional benefits and new vulnerabilities as well.

Korea is no exception. Korea is a highly connected society. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Korea ranked first among OECD countries in the percentage of households with broadband access at 96%. The 2010 United Nations E-government Survey indicates that Korea tops the list of countries in both the e-government development and e-participation indexes.

But this connectedness accompanies vulnerabilities. Korea is experiencing the challenges brought on by cyberspace in all its complexities and details. Korea has been the target of a number of major cyber attacks, as seen in the massive DDoS attacks on government websites in 2009 and 2011 initiated by North Korea; a case of hacking into a national banking system which disabled hundreds of banking servers; and more recently, an instance affecting 'Cyworld' - the biggest social networking site in Korea - which resulted in the compromise of private information of some 35 million users.

(Ways Forward)

It is hard to expand the benefits and opportunities provided by the Internet and to address the challenges we face in the networked society without deliberate action on our part. Let me briefly offer some thoughts on possible ways forward.

First, it is imperative that the cyberspace be kept open. Openness should be fundamental principle in using information technologies. It is critical to innovation and creativity, which in turn bring about the progress and development of our culture and civilization.

Second, a balance should be sought between freedom and regulation in cyberspace. While freedom of speech lies at the heart of cyberspace, regulation should also be applied to contain its adverse effects. However, any regulation should be kept at a necessary minimum.

Third, collaborative efforts of all relevant stakeholders is needed in the global governance of cyberspace. Every aspect of digital space should be duly managed by an inclusive governance system that ensures the participation of individuals, businesses, academia and governments.

Fourth, international cooperation mechanisms for the prevention of cyber crime should be further strengthened. Differences in criminal legislation and lack of timely information sharing among cyber law enforcement agencies need to be addressed.

Fifth, we need to enhance efforts to bridge the digital divide. In line with the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and the results of the two phases of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), we must recognize that closing the global digital gap will be key to importing economic opportunities to all - particularly to those less advantaged. Our efforts will help kick start engines for growth in less developed countries.

Sixth, we need to work towards establishment of international norms and principles governing cyberspace. Despite efforts to address the lack of norms in this newly created area, no significant consensus has so far been reached. The current vacuum or ambiguity only increases misperception and misunderstandings among states and creates incentives for states to exploit the current loopholes. Of course, given the scope of the challenges, it is a demanding task to reach an agreement. But in the area like cyber crime we have already witnessed some tangible outcomes. We need to further bring our ideas together and work step-by-step, issue-by-issue in seeking common ground on this issue.

Last but most important, maintaining the precious momentum created through this Conference is crucial. This conference serves as a rare opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to engage in the most important facets of cyber issues, in an inclusive and comprehensive way. It is Korea's sincere hope that this Conference will be a great success, laying the foundation for discussions on the challenges we face in cyber space in a sustained and continuous manner.

Korea wishes to make its continued and proactive contributions in the global endeavors regarding cyberspace. In this regard, it is a great pleasure for my Government to host the conference on cyberspace in Seoul in 2013, following next year's conference in Hungary.

Of course, it would be necessary to discuss how these conferences will add value and how to utilize the existing dialogue mechanism in a way to minimize duplication.

(Conclusion)

In the annals of history, opportunities created by revolutionary technologies have often brought about daunting challenges. However, humanity has succeeded in finding ways to make full use of the good aspects of technology while mitigating its bad. Confronted with the new challenge of cyberspace, we will achieve the same success we have had with strengthened international cooperation.

I would like to bring my remarks to a close by reiterating my sincere wish that this conference will indeed prove to be the highly constructive and fruitful groundwork for future cooperation that the international community anticipates and desperately needs. Thank you.