South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT reviewed the security status of the domestic cold-chain industry and urged emergency security measures after recent hacking incidents involving refrigeration and freezing facility control systems in parts of Europe, including France.

The ministry held a meeting on Tuesday with chief information security officers from major cold-chain companies.

A cold chain refers to a system that keeps food, pharmaceuticals and other goods at a constant low temperature from production through storage, transportation and distribution. If control systems for refrigeration and freezing facilities are hacked, temperature management and facility operations are disrupted.

At the meeting, the ministry shared the government's initial response, including recommended emergency security measures for manufacturers and facility users, the production and distribution of security guidelines, and the operation of a consultation and information call centre through the Korea Internet & Security Agency.

It also reviewed how key facilities are used across the cold-chain industry, the distribution system for manufacturers' security notices and incident cases, and the status of vulnerability checks and patching. The ministry also heard about company-by-company security measures and difficulties in the field, and discussed ways to strengthen security response systems.

Choi Woo-hyuk (최우혁), director general for Information Protection and Network Policy at the ministry, said companies urgently need to take security preparedness measures, including following relevant security guidelines, checking management systems, confirming security notices and promptly patching vulnerabilities. He said the government will keep a close watch on the situation and work to address difficulties faced by companies.