Home > National > Diplomacy

Britain's top envoy calls for stepped-up cyber cooperation with Korea

Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 10:05

This photo shows British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks, third from left, posing with panel members and the host of an event hosted by the Royal United Services Institute on strengthening security cooperation between Korea and Britain in Seoul on March 4. [YONHAP]

British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks on Wednesday called for closer cyber cooperation between Seoul and London, citing the shared challenges of growing cyberattacks and the two nations' sophisticated cybersecurity ecosystems.

Crooks made the remarks during an event hosted by the Royal United Services Institute, a leading defense and security think tank in Britain, to disclose a report on strengthening cybersecurity cooperation between Seoul and London.

"Given the scale of the shared challenges that we face, and the size and sophistication of our respective cybersecurity ecosystems — across government, business and academia — my personal view is that there is much more that we can do together," Crooks said in his keynote speech.

The British envoy said major companies in both countries have fallen victim to "destructive" cyberattacks over the past year, noting the strategic cyber partnership concluded between the two nations marks a "great start" to tackle such issues.

Korea has been embroiled in a number of high-profile cyber attacks in recent years, including one involving the country's leading mobile carrier, SK Telecom, which affected its entire 23 million user base.

The British envoy noted the two countries have increased cooperation across a range of security and defense sectors, including their participation in the Defence Cyber Marvel, an international cyber defense training led by Britain, and a Seoul-led international cyber defense exercise, dubbed Allied Power Exercise.

"Behind the scenes, regular engagement between our officials at all levels has never been more frequent or closer, both in bilateral engagements and at the array of conferences and summits which happen around the world on a regular basis," he said.

The envoy also called for further cooperation on joint technical advisories, cyber sanctions and on building the framework for conducting offensive cyber operations.

Korea and Britain agreed to expand bilateral cooperation on cybersecurity by concluding the strategic cyber partnership in 2023.

Yonhap