북한의 허위·조작 정보와 대응 방안 연구 - 허위·조작 정보의 개념 정리와 북한 사례를 중심으로 -

Abstract

Disinformation that has been produced and distributed for political purposes since the past has been recognized as a security threat significant enough to affect the survival of a nation. North Korea is a representative regime that utilizes information technology for malicious purposes as part of its aggressive cyber operations, conducting disinformation campaigns. They have disseminated false and manipulated information as part of various propaganda and agitation policies towards South Korea. To achieve this, the North Korean regime has distributed pamphlets containing falsehoods and fabricated content since the past, and has operated propaganda websites using servers abroad. North Korea’s disinformation operations can have a significant impact not only during times of conflict but also during peacetime, potentially undermining the policies and strategies of the Republic of Korea aimed at achieving peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, within the framework of liberal democracy values. Therefore, this study aims to provide the basis and specific countermeasures for the preemptive and comprehensive measures of the Republic of Korea government against disinformation related to North Korea, which could undermine the credibility and effectiveness of South Korea’s unification and inter-Korean relationship establishment policies. To this end, this study will clarify the concept of disinformation and analyze key cases related to North Korea to identify specific threats. Ultimately, this study will propose preemptive and comprehensive countermeasures that the South Korean Ministry of Unification can adopt regarding disinformation related to North Korea.