SEOUL, South Korea -- Special Agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations hosted a Threat Symposium, Sept. 9, to enhance collaboration and address emerging threats with South Korean law enforcement counterparts.
The event, themed ‘Ensuring Security Across a Broader Spectrum,’ aimed to strengthen partnerships and promote information sharing among key stakeholders. In all, 45 representatives from various South Korean agencies attended the event.
“This first-of-its-kind symposium allowed AFOSI [Seat-Of-Government] to reach a much larger host nation counterpart audience, thus helping our South Korean counterparts change their perception of AFOSI as a military police agency with limited investigative capabilities,” said Special Agent Adam McNeal, AFOSI SOG-Seoul Special Agent in Charge.
To do this, the symposium featured several sessions. First, a morning session, led by Mr. Thomas Weiss and Mr. Ara Alan from the AFOSI Center, Technology Protection Branch, focused on Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM).
"Over the last four years, one of the key techniques AFOSI has developed is company due diligence, which involves examining a company through a National Security lens before awarding a contract," Weiss said. "This allows us to identify malign actors attempting to influence a company or gain access to technology using various methods. Given the shared programs between South Korea and the Department of the Air Force, and their close proximity to China, it is crucial to share these best practices."
The SCRM session focused on managing risks within supply chains and protecting Department of the Air Force assets and technology.
“The SCRM briefing was particularly beneficial for the South Korean civilian police and the Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration since the South Korean military isn’t directly involved in the SCRM mission,” McNeal said. “However, the Republic of Korea (ROK) air force Investigations Agency (IFIA) found it valuable because they rely on a delicate supply chain to support their air force.”
During the session, attendees learned best practices and strategies for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities and ensuring the integrity and security of essential technologies.
“They were surprised to hear how we incorporate intelligence when it comes to supply chain management,” McNeal said. “They were also surprised we use open-source information when investigating insider threat and SCRM cases.”
Following the SCRM session, Special Agent Sam Gross, AFOSI Insider Threat Branch chief, addressed the growing concern of insider attacks. During his session, Gross discussed why it’s critical to implement security measures and employee training programs when detecting and preventing insider threats.
“The recent symposium allowed the AFOSI Insider Threat Branch to share counter-insider threat best practices in accordance with the Secretary of the Air Force priorities of developing people, generating readiness, projecting power and developing capabilities in order to remain more competitive in an era of Great Power Competition,” Gross said.
His presentation also touched on developing effective insider threat programs. According to Gross, participants expressed interest in modeling their initiatives after AFOSI’s successful strategies.
“AFOSI is always looking to share its law enforcement and intelligence experiences in the counter-insider threat discipline with colleagues around the globe—such as the South Korean military, law enforcement, and intelligence services—because the combined strength of the US, allies and partners is key to the US National Defense Strategy,” Gross said.
In addition to technical sessions, the symposium emphasized partnership building.
“It was eye-opening for the civilian law enforcement community to learn that AFOSI is different from the South Korean military investigations, which is often perceived as limited in authority compared to civilian law enforcement,” McNeal said. “This shift in perception is a significant achievement since the attendees were not administrative investigators or headquarters managers who traditionally are the recipients of AFOSI mission briefings.”
Col. Jong Sung Woo, ROK Air Force IFIA commander, shared similar views on the symposium's impact.
“This is the first time I’ve seen AFOSI hold such a large meeting,” Woo said. “With many overlapping issues across various fields within the Air Force, this opportunity for investigators from the ROK air force nationwide to come together and communicate has been incredibly beneficial and significant for us. I hope we can continue to move forward and host this type of symposium again.”
In the end, their remarks underscored the symposium's role in fostering a collaborative approach to security challenges.
“This symposium represents a step forward in our efforts to address global security challenges,” said Col. James Merenda, AFOSI Reg. 6 commander. “This open communication and information sharing with our Indo-Pacific counterparts only strengthens our collective ability to anticipate and counter emerging threats.”