S. Korea's spy agency joins NATO cyber defense group

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state intelligence agency said Thursday it has joined a cyber defense group under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as the first Asian member.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) was formally admitted into the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) based in Tallinn, Estonia, the same day and will represent South Korea in the center's training and research activities.

"We plan to strengthen our cyber response capabilities to a world-class level by increasing the number of our staff sent to the center and expanding the scope of joint training," the NIS said.

The center was established in 2008 in response to a Russian cyberattack that crippled Estonia's state networks.

South Korea's admittance increased the number of members to 32, including 27 NATO states.

hague@yna.co.kr
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