North Korea’s Cyber Capabilities and Their Implications for International Security

North Korea’s economic and technological backwardness does not seem to allow Pyongyang to possess proficient cyberwarfare capabilities. Yet, North Korea’s cyber offensive capabilities are a major security threat in a new convergence space called the cyber–physical space (CPS) that connects the real world and the virtual world. How has North Korea become a formidable actor in the CPS, despite economic and technological disadvantages? Put differently, what makes North Korea a global cyber power despite its disconnect from international society? What are North Korea’s motivations behind strengthening its cyber capabilities in recent decades and what implications do these hold for international security? The primary objective of this article is to examine North Korea’s motivations for strengthening its cyber capabilities and analyze their implications for the sustainability of stability and peace on the Korean peninsula and beyond. By investigating the exemplary cases of North Korea’s recent cyberattacks, it seeks to explore the effective ways to manage the risks that North Korea’s enhanced cyber proficiencies pose in the current and future CPS.