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Korea's ICT chief meets with U.S. officials to discuss response to telecom hacking incidents

Published: 18 May. 2025, 18:50 Updated: 19 May. 2025, 10:44

Korean Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im, left, and Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in Washington on May 14 [MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND ICT]

Korean Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im met with senior U.S. telecommunications officials to discuss strengthening cooperation in response to a series of telecom hacking incidents, including the recent breach at SK Telecom.

The ministry announced on Sunday that Yoo met with Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in Washington on May 14 to discuss international cooperation on dealing with telecom hacking crimes. The two sides emphasized the need for coordinated efforts, citing the recent SK Telecom breach in Korea and attacks by Chinese hacking group Volt Typhoon targeting U.S. telecom infrastructure.

Yoo and Carr also shared updates on cybersecurity certification frameworks, including Korea’s Internet of Things (IoT) security certification system and the FCC’s Cyber Trust Mark initiative. Both countries agreed on the importance of harmonizing security standards to reduce duplicate certification requirements for IoT companies operating across borders.

During his U.S. visit, Yoo also addressed concerns over Washington’s designation of Korea as a “sensitive country.”

On May 15, he met with Lynne Parker, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as concerns were raised about the subsequent cuts in its research and development (R&D) funding after designating Korea as a “sensitive country.” During the meeting, Yoo reaffirmed the need for continued bilateral collaboration despite shifting R&D funding priorities and stressed the growing importance of research security. Officials at the Office of Science and Technology Policy said the Biden administration would continue to implement a presidential memo on research security issued during the Trump administration. They also outlined future investment priorities in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and biotechnology.

Korean Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im, right, and Lynne Parker, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, on May 15 [MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND ICT]

Yoo held separate meetings with Rebecca Keiser, acting chief of staff at the National Science Foundation and Jessica Robin, acting office head at the National Science Foundation, to discuss joint research and security cooperation. He also arranged a virtual meeting with Kim Young-kee, director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, to explore collaboration in basic science using large-scale research infrastructure.

In efforts to strengthen Korea’s AI ecosystem, Yoo visited Nvidia’s U.S. headquarters to meet with executives Jay Puri and Kalista Redmond. Korea’s National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), which is spearheading the construction of the National AI Computing Center, signed an agreement with Nvidia to ensure smooth domestic supply of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs).

“Since Korea’s largest overseas R&D partner is the United States, it is critical that we closely monitor and respond to changes in U.S. R&D policy under the second Trump administration,” Yoo said.

BY MOON SANG-HYEOK [[email protected]]