Topic: Future of Cyber Warfare
Country: South Korea
Delegate Name: Caleb Heidorn
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All South Korea position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
The Republic of Korea believes that cyber warfare is a serious issue worldwide, and needs to be addressed. In the past we have been the victim of numerous cyber attacks from North Korea, and have taken measures to protect ourselves from future attacks. Because of the internet and continuing ignorance in many areas on how to prevent cyber warfare, it has only grown a more powerful threat.
We have come under attack numerous times from cyber warfare, affecting our military, government, and citizens. In 2009, in a "Deliberate Denial of Service," 26 government and military sites were rendered unusable. In May, 2011, North Korea also took down the systems in our largest bank. From April 28 to May 13, 2012, GPS signals, including civilian and military signals, were blocked by North Korea, making air and naval transit difficult. We believe that issues such as these pose a threat not just to us, but to many areas worldwide. Cyber warfare has been used to attack and spy on military posts and information, and it represents a growing threat to national security. Countries such as North Korea have been working specifically on cyber warfare and have units dedicated to using it for their advantage.
As the problem stands now, there is not much to do to prevent cyber warfare except respond to attacks and increase security in systems and websites. Countries dedicated to performing cyber attacks can infect other systems, despite security precautions taken, and the damage is not always preventable. Therefore, when directed by states, cyber attacks should be regarded as military actions and acts of espionage. The perpetrator, whether directed by a state or not, is responsible for his actions and the results, and should be charged as such.
When cyber attacks do occur, it is necessary to deal with it promptly. We have security experts to help resolve issues with cyber systems, including those problems caused by cyber attacks. However, all possible precautions aren't enough to prevent cyber warfare, and so we must crack down quickly on incidents that do occur, and study previous attacks to learn how to prevent future attacks. Countries can work together to prevent usage of cyber warfare in the first place, and when cyber attacks occur countries can work together to resolve the issue. As cyber attacks can be used to affect more than one country, it is imperative that we work together to minimize damage caused by cyber warfare, and control all incidents that occur.
