South Korea's National Security Office launched an intergovernmental task force on Wednesday to assess risks to energy, international shipping logistics, and digital infrastructure amid growing global uncertainty.
The National Security Office announced that the first meeting of the "Pan-Government Critical Infrastructure Resilience Task Force" was held, chaired by Oh Hyun-joo, Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office. The task force was established to evaluate response capabilities against complex crises affecting critical infrastructure that forms the foundation of national economy and security, and to strengthen inter-ministerial policy coordination and joint response systems.
The initiative comes as geopolitical conflicts, global supply chain disruptions, and cyber threats have become persistent risks. The situation in the Middle East has compounded these challenges, increasing uncertainty in global energy supply and maritime shipping networks, making stable operation of critical infrastructure essential.
The meeting addressed oil and gas supply instability related to the Middle East situation. Discussions covered diversification of energy import sources, safety inspections of oil and gas storage facilities, and timely crisis response measures. Participants also examined expansion of power infrastructure to prepare for surging energy demand, development of core facility technologies, and supply chain diversification.
In international shipping logistics, officials reviewed measures to strengthen emergency response systems, including real-time monitoring of the Middle East situation. They also assessed mid-to-long-term plans to reinforce maritime infrastructure networks through securing global logistics hubs and expanding fleet capacity.
For digital infrastructure, the meeting discussed establishing safety management systems for submarine cables, data centers, and other digital infrastructure to prevent public harm from communication and digital disruptions.
"When threats arise to energy, international shipping logistics, and digital infrastructure—the arteries of our economy and security—the impact is enormous," Oh said. "We must strengthen systems focused on prevention and resilience rather than reactive responses."
