South Korea will seek to launch a working group with the United States in joint efforts to counter global cyber threats.

The decision was made on Friday during a meeting of the presidential office's crisis management center presided over by National Security Adviser Suh Hoon.

The move comes as the allies had agreed in May to reinforce cooperation on cybersecurity during a summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden.

The top security adviser urged ministries to proactively respond to various forms of cyber threats, including ransomware attacks, especially as cyber dependence has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meeting comes after state agencies, including the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI), were recently exposed to cyberattacks, with North Korea alleged to have perpetrated them.