Naru Security chooses Luxembourg for EU headquarters

Cyberattacks worldwide are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, often at a scale that many European organisations struggle to manage. Keeping up with the modus operandi of cyber adversaries and developing the right expertise in a short amount of time is very challenging.

Here is where Joon Kim, founder and CEO of Naru Security, sees an opportunity to contribute. “In South Korea, we have been constantly exposed to massive cyberthreats and have developed solid expertise in handling them – not least due to the mistakes we have made, and learnt from, over the past decades,” he points out. As a former member of the Korea Internet & Security Agency and cybersecurity advisor to the Korea Cyber Command and the National Police Agency, now managing a leading cybersecurity business, his insights go beyond those of most. Now, he aims to bring this defence-grade expertise delivered through AI-driven zero trust cybersecurity technology to the European market, leveraging Luxembourg’s innovation ecosystem.

Luxembourg: A strategic base for cybersecurity expansion

Over the past decade, Naru Security has safeguarded some of South Korea’s most critical infrastructures, working with organisations such as Samsung, Coupang, KT, SK Telecom, LG U+ and national defence bodies including the Ministry of National Defence, the armed forces and the National Intelligence Service. However, Mr Kim’s decision to start doing business in Europe was born quite unexpectedly through a serendipitous visit to the international tech event Nexus Luxembourg in 2024.

“I never imagined starting a business in Luxembourg – some might even miss it on the map!” he jokes. But meetings with several key players during the event, including government officials, made him change his mind. Mr Kim was very impressed by their understanding of his business and supportive attitude. He mentions in particular François Thill, Director Cybersecurity and Digital Technologies at the Ministry of the Economy, who immediately realised how Naru Security’s expertise could benefit the local economy.

Luxembourg is also one of the best spots geographically to target the European market.
Joon Kim, Naru Security

“Even in South Korea, it would probably have taken us months and a lot of dealing with red tape and protocol to be able to meet such senior government officials,” Mr Kim points out. “Here, it was quick and simple, and the discussions were fully focused on solving problems. This told me that Luxembourg is where I could start my company. The country is also one of the best spots geographically to target the European market.”

As a result, the company’s European headquarters were established in Luxembourg in September 2025 under the name of CyberExM. The choice of a different name for the European entity reflects a distinct strategic positioning compared to that of the mother company: while Naru Security works with big players including government administrations and intelligence agencies, CyberExM will primarily support startups and smaller companies that have great cybersecurity needs but limited budgets.

At the same time, by capitalising on Naru Security’s defence-grade expertise, CyberExM aims to create meaningful synergies with Luxembourg’s local partners who understand the European cybersecurity landscape – a priority, as the European market is new territory for the company. With this combined strength, the company seeks to contribute both to protecting the country’s startups and SMEs and to Luxembourg’s national ambition to become one of the most cyber-secure nations in the NATO/EU region by 2030. Using the same technologies as Naru Security, the Luxembourg branch will concentrate on problem solving and offer subscription-based services. “Our objective is to start here and then expand across the European cybersecurity market,” Mr Kim confirms.

Establishing partnerships with Luxembourg’s innovation ecosystem

The business of CyberExM is already moving forward. “We are still at an early stage in the European market, but we are tapping into many opportunities and it’s going faster than I expected,” says Mr Kim. As the Luxembourg entity is still of a modest size, CyberExM is collaborating with SkyinQ, a business consultancy firm specialising in supporting Korean companies in their European market entry. SkyinQ plays the role of door opener, connecting CyberExM with organisations and companies interested in its services.

Luxembourg’s international environment is giving me excellent connections across Europe.
Joon Kim, Naru Security

The company has also spotted several interesting partnership opportunities in Luxembourg. Discussions about possible R&D cooperation with the Luxembourg Institutes of Science and Technology (LIST) are already under way, and CyberExM has applied for funding under Horizon Europe – the EU’s main programme for research and innovation – as part of a consortium including 20 European R&D partners. The team is also motivated to contribute to the work of the Luxembourg AI Factory, a one-stop shop empowering businesses to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence with cybersecurity as one of its main pillars.

Mr Kim underlines the importance of the support received from the Luxembourg ecosystem, including the Ministry of the Economy, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the national innovation agency Luxinnovation, the incubator Technoport and the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity as well as the embassy and Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office (LTIO) in Seoul. He also praises the amenities, transportation system and general atmosphere in Luxembourg that were much beyond his expectations. “Luxembourg’s international environment is giving me excellent connections across Europe,” he says. “I would actually like to help other Korean companies branch out to Luxembourg and grow in the European market from here.”

Photo credit: Naru Security