Director Lee Jong-seok of the National Intelligence Service stated this in his opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the 'Cyber Summit Korea 2025 (CSK 2025)' held at the COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on the 9th. He noted, "I only make public greetings once a year." He introduced, "The Cyber Summit Korea, which took its first steps last year, has developed into a truly international event by leading cooperation between the international community and the private sector. This year, we have extended the schedule by one day and thoroughly prepared the program."
Director Lee stated, "With the era of AI transformation upon us, digital data has already become a core asset of the national economy. The government is also concentrating its policy capabilities to become one of the top three AI powerhouses," while noting, "Cyber threats are becoming obstacles to our efforts toward AI leadership and economic prosperity." He further said, "States, covert organizations, and hacker groups are attacking key infrastructures in sophisticated ways, threatening national security and the safety of citizens." He added, "Only when safety and trust in cyberspace are guaranteed can we protect future growth engines such as AI advancement."
Director Lee emphasized that cyber threats transcend borders and have become a shared security challenge that cannot be easily contained by the power of a single nation. He explained, "This is why we have set this year's theme as 'Proactive efforts for global cybersecurity, building trust through cooperation,'" adding, "If the public and private sectors actively cooperate and various countries closely coordinate, we can respond to evolving cyber threats more efficiently and precisely."
The keynote speech of the event was delivered by Lukáš Kintr, the Administrator of the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB). He stated, "Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue, but a matter of democracy and trust." He noted, "Legislation is just the starting point; true resilience must be deeply rooted in the culture of society as a whole."
Administrator Kintr presented the experience of the Czech Republic as a case study. He explained, "The first cybersecurity law enacted in 2014 established an institutional foundation to protect key infrastructures," adding, "The incident during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, where a hacking incident forced Brno University Hospital to postpone surgeries, highlighted the importance of legislative and institutional foundations." He continued, "The new cybersecurity law that came into effect last June expanded the scope, reflecting the EU's NIS directive, to universities, digital services, and local public institutions," emphasizing that "laws should not simply regulate but act as a catalyst to spread a security culture."
He also mentioned the escalated threats following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Administrator Kintr stated, "Russia's aggression has extended into the digital realm with disinformation and infrastructure attacks," revealing, "The Czech Republic has shared threat information with its allies and embarked on joint responses."
He specifically pointed out threats originating from China. Administrator Kintr said, "In April, the Czech government officially attributed long-term cyber espionage activities targeting political institutions to APT31, linked to Chinese state apparatus," noting, "This was the first instance where our government explicitly connected China to hostile cyber activities." He also stated, "The Czech Republic was the first in Europe to warn of the risks associated with suppliers like Huawei and ZTE, and recently raised concerns about the transfer of data to mainland China," adding, "Untrustworthy technology is not just a technical issue but one of national security and democratic values."
Administrator Kintr remarked, "Cyber resilience cannot be secured with technology alone. People, institutions, and alliances must move together," and added, "Though the Czech Republic is a middle power, we will contribute to global cybersecurity policy with clear principles and international solidarity."
Meanwhile, at the opening ceremony, AI-based virtual host 'CSKY' appeared on stage to simulate a real cyberattack. In the reenactment of ransomware and DDoS attacks, heads of relevant organizations took turns on stage to establish a 'defense line' and reaffirmed their commitment to joint response through a touch-button ceremony.
During the event, the National Intelligence Service will hold a special session on the national network security system (N2SF) to introduce a Korean-style cyber defense strategy. In addition, it plans to conduct the international cyber exercise 'APEX 2025' and the practical cyber attack defense competition 'CCE 2025' in succession, sharing threat information with global partners and strengthening real-world response capabilities. Director Lee declared, "We will continue to cooperate organically with relevant agencies, corporations, and overseas information security agencies to do our utmost to safeguard cyber security."