KAIST held the opening ceremony of the Cyber Security Research Center (CSRC) in Fusion Hall of the KI Building on February 25. KAIST President Nam Pyo Suh, Director of National IT Industry Promotion Agency Jeong Gyeong Won, and Director of Korea Communications Commission Network Cheol Jung Hwang participated in the event to congratulate the beginning of the CSRC.

The primary goal of the CSRC is to cultivate its students to become information security experts. By collaborating with institutions such as the National Intelligence Service, Ministry of National Defense and Prosecution Service, CSRC will provide its students not only with theoretical knowledge, but also with hands-on experience. The research center currently educates ten students; it also plans to establish a Graduate School of Information Security in 2011 and accept about 30 students in their master’s or doctorate degrees. After graduation, students will pursue jobs in research institutes to innovate cyber security technologies. The Korean government will also hire the students to defend the nation during times of cyber war and crimes. Daejoon Joo, Director of the CSRC, said that he would “raise global elites of information security” and also “revitalize information security industry within South Korea by developing security programs competitive in international information security markets.”

On the other hand, Korea is in urgent need of information security experts. Its government still requires private information security companies whenever the country is under cyber attack. The latest DDos attack and another 7.7 DDos incident in 2009 were all quelled with the help of civilian groups. Note that North Korea has been training cyber terrorists in Gimchaek University of Technology since the mid 90’s. China, the U.S. and Japan, likewise, have all been training hacking specialists since the 90’s. The opening of CSRC is only a late start for South Korea in the attempt to become a champion of the future Cyber World.