White hackers from all over the world are set to compete for 65 million won ($57,000) worth prize in total at CODEGATE 2019, one of major international hacking competitions that will be taking place at COEX in southern Seoul on Mar. 26-27.

This year’s competition will be held under the theme of Block & Security Chain for Smart City, and the participants will have a chance to share and explore blockchain hacking cases and the inspiration of novel information security technology.

Seoul-based CODEGATE, founded in 2007, has positioned itself as a marquee competition and conference for global white hackers and digital security experts. The event is hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, organized by Maeil Business Newspaper, CODEGATE and Korea Internet & Security Agency, and sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

A total of 50 teams that passed preliminary rounds will pitch their ideas in three categories in the finals competition where the prize is worth 65 million won ($57,000) in total. The prize will go to the best team in each category in 24-hour solution of problems related to software vulnerabilities and cryptography. The award ceremony will take place on Mar. 27, with the first winning team given 30 million won in adult competition, and 5 million won each in the category of university students and juniors.

This year’s preliminary rounds were attended by 6,168 people from 97 countries, up by nearly seven times from the 2008 competition. The 12-year cumulative turnover is more than 40,000.

CODEGATE added a competition category for juniors aged 19 and younger in 2014, which is the only such kind event in the world, the organizer clamed. This year the category attracted 452 competitors from 46 countries. Its popularity also gave birth to a competition category for university students in 2016. This year 499 university teams will compete.

By Shin Chan-ok and Minu Kim

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]