Prime Minister Kim: "We Deeply Regret Personal Data Leaks... Determined for a 'War Against Hacking'"

Prime Minister Kim Minseok stated on the 22nd, "The government feels deeply sorry and takes very seriously the fact that the personal information of our citizens has been leaked and that valuable assets have been used for unauthorized payments." He added, "We will take every possible measure to ensure that those affected do not experience any inconvenience and that all damages are remedied."

Prime Minister Kim Minseok is attending and speaking at an emergency issue review meeting related to hacking incidents of telecommunications and financial companies held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on September 22, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun

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On the morning of September 22, at the Government Seoul Office, Prime Minister Kim held an emergency issue review meeting regarding hacking incidents at telecommunications and financial companies. He said, "We regard these hacking incidents as a threat to the public." He continued, "Following the SK Telecom USIM information leak in April, there have been ongoing damages, such as the recent case at KT, where unauthorized micro-payments totaling 240 million won were made through hacking."

Last month, a hacking incident targeting the Lotte Card server resulted in the personal information of approximately 3 million members being leaked. Prime Minister Kim expressed concern, stating, "Among them, 280,000 individuals had critical payment-related information, such as card numbers, passwords, and security codes (CVC), leaked. In effect, the most important information has been entirely compromised."

Prime Minister Kim said, "Relevant ministries must seriously reflect on whether these successive hacking incidents are due to complacent responses and conduct a thorough review." He continued, "We will rigorously investigate the causes of these incidents and determine whether there were any shortcomings in the security management systems of the companies involved." He also added, "Allegations have been raised that some companies may have concealed or downplayed the incidents. We will clarify whether there were any problems, and if so, we will hold those responsible fully accountable to dispel all public doubts."

He further emphasized, "Without security, both digital transformation and becoming a powerhouse in artificial intelligence (AI) are nothing but castles built on sand. Telecommunications and financial security are the most fundamental missions of telecommunications and financial companies and are the first step toward earning consumer trust."

Prime Minister Kim said, "The government will completely overhaul the information protection systems in the telecommunications and financial sectors to prevent similar hacking incidents from occurring." He added, "We will strengthen investigative authority so that investigations can be initiated ex officio, rather than only when companies report incidents. We will also reinforce sanctions for violations of security obligations to ensure accountability."

In particular, he called on the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Financial Services Commission, the Personal Information Protection Commission, and other relevant ministries, stating, "I ask the ministers to approach the resolution of this situation with the determination to 'wage war against hacking.' Please devise extraordinary measures to prevent similar cases from recurring, and make every effort to ensure that the government's information protection measures are comprehensively passed during this regular session of the National Assembly."

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