[2025 Audit] Mobile Carriers, Credit Card Companies, and Security Firms... Wave of Hacks Prompts Criticism: "What Is the Government Doing?"

During the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee audit, lawmakers criticized the government's lukewarm response to the recent string of hacking incidents involving mobile carriers, credit card companies, and security firms.

On the morning of October 21, both ruling and opposition lawmakers on the committee called for a more proactive government response to the series of hacking incidents during the audit of agencies under the Ministry of Science and ICT, including the National IT Industry Promotion Agency.

Yonhap News Agency

Lee Hunki, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "Countless hacking incidents have occurred, yet what exactly is the Ministry of Science and ICT doing?" He added, "From the public's perspective, the government's personal data protection and management system appears to be virtually useless."

He also pointed out that SK Telecom and KT reported their hacking incidents belatedly, saying, "If a report is not made within 24 hours, a fine is imposed, but a few million won fine means nothing to telecom companies with tens of trillions in revenue." He criticized the penalties as being merely a slap on the wrist.

Lee Jeongheon, another member of the Democratic Party of Korea, warned, "If we fail to establish a robust security system that tightly protects citizens' personal information, it could escalate from a threat to daily life into a major national disaster." He called for institutional improvements, such as implementing security certification systems for Internet of Things (IoT) devices like robot vacuum cleaners.

Choi Sujin, a member of the People Power Party, remarked, "A series of hacking incidents have occurred recently, and these may be among the worst ever." She pointed out, "While the Lee Jaemyung administration claims it will support the advancement of artificial intelligence and science technology, it is exposing vulnerabilities in digital security."

Kim Jangkyum, also a member of the People Power Party, said, "Even during the SK Telecom hacking incident, I strongly emphasized the need to review KT and LG Uplus, but breaches have continued to occur." He criticized the government's countermeasures as "nothing more than superficial improvements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.