The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AmCham) and Cisco urged South Korean businesses to map aging IT systems and stage upgrades, as an institute report set out governance steps for managing legacy technology risks.
Reports on the meeting said the organizations made the call at an Oct. 22 roundtable in Seoul. Coverage said companies were urged to weigh each system’s operational importance against available funds when deciding what to replace. The gathering included business executives, cybersecurity specialists and participants from the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA).
End-of-life status means a technology has reached the point when security updates and technical assistance stop. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) says companies must pay for replacements while keeping day-to-day operations running.
Cisco Korea President Ji Hee Cathy Choi said unsupported equipment can pose a “critical threat to business continuity” as companies adopt AI. Sarah Sloan, Cisco’s head of cybersecurity policy for Asia Pacific, presented ASPI’s report, published July 28, 2026. It examines South Korea, India and the Philippines and gives Australia a separate spotlight.
ASPI links South Korea’s reliance on older systems partly to past technology mandates. It says rapid digitization has made replacing them harder and more expensive. Its five-part “Legacy Five” approach combines technology tracking, risk-based standards, procurement changes, clear accountability and transition support. For systems that remain in use, ASPI recommends identifying who accepts the risk, recording safeguards, funding a replacement path and setting a review date.
ASPI’s South Korea case study says the April 2025 SK Telecom breach affected 23 million users and involved an operating system missing a 2016 patch. The report says access went undetected for nearly three years. It also says a September 2025 fire at the National Information Resources Service data center in Daejeon destroyed 96 systems and led to precautionary shutdowns of 551 more.
ASPI says planned upgrades can reduce operational risk and create commercial opportunities, while businesses must pay for transitions and keep services running. Cisco funded the report; ASPI says its conclusions are the author’s and do not necessarily represent Cisco’s official position. Aju Press reported that AmCham planned further discussions involving companies, technology specialists and policymakers.
