Catenaa, Friday, May 23, 2025- South Korea and the European Union have agreed to strengthen cyber cooperation, specifically targeting cryptocurrency theft attributed to North Korean hacking groups, officials announced Tuesday.
The decision follows a high-level policy dialogue held in Seoul, where both sides identified Pyongyang’s illicit cyber activities as a growing threat to global financial and digital stability.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting focused on enhancing collaboration to confront sophisticated cybercrimes, including digital asset theft, which has been linked to state-sponsored North Korean actors.
According to intelligence estimates, hackers from the reclusive regime stole nearly $1.7 billion in cryptocurrencies from exchanges such as WazirX and Bybit over the past two years.
Delegates from both governments’ security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies participated, including members of the European Commission’s cybersecurity division.
The EU and South Korea agreed to share intelligence faster and cooperate on international cybercrime investigations. They also pledged to support developing nations in enhancing their cybersecurity infrastructure.
The announcement comes amid increasing concern over North Korea’s cyber tactics, which now include phishing scams, fake job postings, and malware attacks to penetrate crypto firms worldwide.
The two sides committed to using their cyber policy consultations as a strategic platform to advance global dialogue on cybersecurity and digital resilience.
