S. KOREA'S BANKS FACE AI CYBER THREATS

금융권 덮친 AI 공포..AI 사회 문제 대응은? Welcome to Press Perspective. It’s Tuesday, October 13th, here in Seoul. I’m Lee Soo-jin, filling in for Min Sun-hee through Wednesday. As South Korea’s banks race to embrace AI, a new wave of cyber incidents is raising concerns about how the technology could be exploited by hackers. So how can financial institutions harness AI’s potential while keeping their systems and customers safe? To discuss this, I’m joined by Chloe Borgnon of French broadcaster France 24. Chloe, welcome. And joining us as well is Yang Chien-hao, a freelance journalist from Taiwan. (Chloe Borgnon) 1. Let’s start with the recent wave of cybersecurity incidents involving major South Korean banks. What happened, and how was AI involved? (Yang Chien-hao) 2. The incidents have also drawn attention to the changing profile of cyber threats facing the financial sector. Who is behind these cyberattacks, what are their likely motives, and how do their methods differ from the traditional cyberattacks Korean financial institutions have faced in the past? 3. (Chloe Borgnon) Beyond the methods used, the consequences for financial institutions and their customers remain a key concern. What types of financial services and institutions were affected, and was any sensitive customer data actually exposed? 4. (Yang Chien-hao) At the same time, AI is becoming increasingly embedded in the financial sector, bringing both new opportunities and new risks. Beyond cybersecurity, how are Korean banks using AI in their day-to-day operations, and where is it delivering the most value and posing the biggest challenges? 5. (Chloe Borgnon) This shift is part of a broader push to transform financial services through technology. Why have Korean financial institutions been accelerating their adoption of AI and what business needs and competitive pressures are driving this push? 6. (Yang Chien-hao) But as AI adoption accelerates, keeping pace with the technology’s risks is becoming just as important as realizing its benefits. Banks invest heavily in cybersecurity, so where are their defenses falling short when it comes to emerging AI-driven threats? 7. (Chloe Borgnon) In Korea, this challenge is closely tied to the rules governing how financial institutions manage and access digital systems. For viewers unfamiliar with Korea’s financial regulations, what is network separation, why was it introduced, and how would relaxing these rules help banks adopt cloud services and generative AI? 8. (Yang Chien-hao) Recent incidents have added another layer of complexity to an already delicate balancing act between innovation and security. Now that hackers have weaponized autonomous AI agents to probe bank networks and third-party APIs, how are these recent cyber incidents affecting the government's deregulation plans? 9. (Chloe Borgnon) Ultimately, regulatory changes will need to be accompanied by effective safeguards across the financial sector. What concrete governance steps should regulators and banks take to balance AI growth with safety? (Yang Chien-hao) The stakes extend beyond the financial industry itself, reaching anyone who relies on digital banking in their daily lives. 10. Following recent AI-assisted cyber incidents involving major Korean banks, how much has consumer trust in digital banking been affected, and what steps can individuals take to protect themselves? Chloe, thank you for sharing your insights with us today. And Chien-hao, thank you for joining us and offering your perspective. #SouthKorea #AI #Hacking #Financial #Bank #Cybersecurity #ChloeBorgnon #YangChienhao #대한민국 #은행 #금융 #해킹 #사이버안보 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook :   / arirangtvnews   📣 Youtube :    / @arirangcokrarirangnews   📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/ 2026-10-13, 17:30 (KST)