Stronger measures should be made against China’s cyber-attack

Surprisingly, the amount of cyber-attacks from China on Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)-related military websites of South Korea, including websites of the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, has increased 10-fold. According to the Dong-A Ilbo, South Koreans have seen a steep increase in the amount of cyber-attacks since Lotte Group approved a land swap for THAAD deployment in South Korea, and further, it has been suspected that the attack was orchestrated by the Chinese because the type of hacking skills, which had been witnessed from the recent hacking attempts, were very similar to the method used by the Chinese in the past. Officials at the South Korean military believe that hackers are intended to steal some secrets regarding THAAD and use them to add some confusion to THAAD deployment and its operation. The Chinese government’s involvement or deliberate connivance is still a valid scenario, hinting at a possible “cyber war” ignited by China.

China has been known to be operating as many as 400,000 cyber agents, and China tops any other countries in the world in terms of hacking capability. In particular, more than 500 soldiers have been participated in mock tests for cyber-attacks against South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, according to the Defense Agency of Technology and Quality under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration last year. If China tries to undermine South Korea’s national security, in addition to its cultural and economic sanctions, as retaliatory measures to THAAD deployment in South Korea, it requires more serious considerations. “The ministry’s internal network system intranet and Internet servers are totally separated and no damage has been reported yet from any hacking incidents,” said the Ministry of National Defense, confirm‎ing no damage in its briefing Monday. However, it is hard to trust the ministry’s statement because the ministry failed to assess the emergency situations and come up with a timely response when the South Korean military’s intranet was intruded by North Korean hackers and some confidential information was spilled in September last year.

It is highly likely that China will take on diplomatic and military retaliatory actions while avoiding a full-scale economic war, because China values practical interests and wants to protect Chinese companies. Also, some Chinese are advocating the use of military force at Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where THAAD will be deployed. China must realize the solidness and integrity of the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. and the cooperation for greater security among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan and refrain from making any irrational or provocative actions.

Against the backdrop, the South Korean government and political circles should stay more vigilant. In line with this, the unscheduled and sudden visit to Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn by some members of the opposition Minjoo Party in order to protest the government’s decision to deploy the THAAD system should be blamed for their ignorance. The most serious threat to South Korea is undoubtedly military provocations by North Korea. As history shows us, however, South Korea must be prepared for threats coming from China, too. South Korea must complain about China’s cyber-attacks in the strongest terms, and warn China without any hesitation about the possibility of a cyber war against China, if necessary. South Korea’s silence will only make Beijing deem that its aggressiveness is effective to intimidate South Korea. This will only lead to more provocative behaviors from China, especially when it comes to its retaliation and attempts to interfere in South Korea’s administration. In this context, South Korea must improve its cyber capability, including cyber surveillance and patrol technology, which currently stays only at less than 80 percent of that of advanced countries. Furthermore, South Korea must nurture more talents and develop stronger cyber deterrence against North Korea and China.