SEOUL, A joint team of South Korean and British soldiers and security personnel placed first in an international cyber defense competition last week, officials said Wednesday, amid efforts to strengthen cyberspace cooperation. The team beat the competition in Defence Cyber Marvel, held online from Feb. 9-17, and joined by some 600 personnel from 17 countries, including Germany and Italy, according to the officials from the Army and the National Intelligence Service. During the training event hosted by the British Army Cyber Association, participating teams were assessed on how they fended off various simulated cyberattacks on military, satellite, medical and government networks. It marked the first time South Korea has joined the exercise after it signed a bilateral strategic cyber partnership with Britain during President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to the country in November. Under the partnership, the two sides agreed to strengthen cyberspace cooperation by participating in cyber exercises hosted by the two countries, such as Defence Cyber Marvel, among other measures. Defence Cyber Marvel, launched in 2022 as an exercise for British troops, became an international competition last year. Source: Yonhap News Agency