Military to create units against hacking, terrorism
Source: Asiamedia.Ucla.edu
By KIM HYUNG-JIN
Date: June 19, 2003
The Defense Security Command announced yesterday that it will launch a special intelligence-protecting office to cope with the rising threat posed by North Korean computer hackers.
Speaking at a press conference, Maj. Gen. Song Young-keun, the DSC commander, also said it will establish a counter-terrorism department to effectively deal with global terrorism threats.
The DSC unveiled these and another 30 measures to renovate the military's top intelligence investigative agency.
"As the DSC previously said in a forum, we will create an office specializing in the intelligence war to guard against fresh threats," Song said.
The commander referred to his earlier remarks May 16 that North Korea has annually trained about 100 computer hackers to strengthen its cyber terror capability against South Korea.
The DSC plans to set up a counter-cyber terrorism investigative team to check general computer viruses and hacking threats, Song added.
He said the DSC will also form an anti-terrorism office in a bid to ensure the nation is free from the growing threat of armed insurrection in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the United States.
"We will gradually expand the office and recruit counter-terrorism experts. We will also stage cooperative ties with foreign intelligence agencies," he said.
Among the measures is a plan to make it easier for active-duty servicemen to go abroad. The DSC said it will scrap as early as October the time-honored practice of thoroughly reviewing the identification of a solider, when he or she applies for an overseas trip.
The DSC said it will slash the number of private munitions firms that it has imposed security- and intelligence-related audits on from the current 148 to 69.
It said it will establish an "independent" intelligence unit on munitions companies under the direct control of the DSC commander to root out various types of scandals surrounding the arms industry.
"Every time the government has changed, calls for the renovation of the DSC mounted and there were some changes. But those were somewhat incomplete and we now work out self-reform measures after collecting diverse opinions," Song said.
"We will continue these fundamental reform efforts to prevent talks of the DSC's renovation from arising again," he said.
Original article: http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/06.17.2003/Korea7.htm
^macro[showdigestcomments;^uri[];Military to create units against hacking, terrorism]