Understanding Terrorism Aiming at Energy Infrastructures: How to PROTECT KOREAN Energy Infrastructures

The purpose of this study is to examine the trends and characteristics of terrorist attack on energy infrastructure since recent terrorist attacks using drones in Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities raise the question about traditional countermeasures of terrorism. Because of new technology with the fourth industrial revolution increasing the risk of a new way of terrorism, it is necessary to come up with new counter-measures to prepare for terrorist attacks, especially on energy infrastructure. To accomplish research purposes, this study examined the national protection system of South Korea government for energy in-frastructure and to identify trends and characteristics of terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure by using GTD data. According to review South Korean’s protection plans for national critical infrastructures, the major regulations in the Disaster Safety Act, the Integrated Defense Act and the Presidential Decree provide preventive tactics for national energy infrastructure. 46 energy infrastructure sites have been selected and managed as important national facilities. However, it is not clear how the existing national defense system is being operated as information is not disclosed. There are also human protection plans for en-ergy infrastructure, but physical protection plans are not specific. In order to respond to new terrorist risk factors such as drones, the improvement of physical environment of energy infrastructure is needed. For this reason, it is necessary to introduce criminal opportunity theory in criminology in the field of terrorism in order to promote safety. Analysis of GTD showed that terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure have continued to increase and decrease. In particular, more than 150 terrorist attacks have occurred every year. Although South Korean energy infrastructure is unlikely damaged because of the rarely occurrence of terrorist attacks in East-Asia, caution is need. Due to the increasing frequency of North Korea’s drone operations, it is necessary to prepare countermeasures. In addition, the characteristics of terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure are mostly those using explosives with a small number of people involved. Since the success rate of ter-rorist attacks on energy infrastructure is very high, it is important to prevent terrorist attack from oc-curred.