The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced it will provide free registration of trade secrets to protect the ideas of 5,000 participants affected by a significant data breach in the 'Everyone's Startup' initiative.
During a briefing at the Government Seoul Building on June 22, Deputy Minister Roh Yong-seok addressed the data breach, stating, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this platform leak and for failing to uphold public trust in the government." He emphasized the ministry's commitment to prioritizing the protection of ideas and conducting thorough security checks and external investigations to aid victims and prevent future incidents.
The trade secret registration process involves registering a unique identifier for electronic documents containing trade secrets with a certification body, which can prove the existence and ownership of these documents in case of disputes.
The ministry will collaborate with the Intellectual Property Office to offer free registration of trade secrets for applicants and will provide one year of free technical support to selected participants who have registered their businesses.
Additionally, the ministry will facilitate one-on-one consultations with over 200 intellectual property and patent attorneys affiliated with the 'Startup One-Stop Support Center.' In July, specialized lawyers will conduct matching days in 17 cities and provinces to assist with idea protection.
The ministry will also review issues raised regarding the support process for the 'Everyone's Startup' initiative. In particular, it will strictly prohibit misconduct related to the AI solution support program, such as excessive promotion, price fluctuations, and pricing above market rates, and will implement ongoing monitoring.
According to the ministry's findings, after the participant profile page was opened, three types of information—emails, idea summaries, and evaluation comments—were exposed in encrypted form. However, personal identification numbers, contact details, and detailed application forms were not compromised. Deputy Minister Roh stated that an investigation into the breach is underway in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Center, and the ministry has requested an investigation from the National Police Agency. A task force has also been established within the Startup Promotion Agency to review feedback received at the victim reporting center, which has recorded 54 reports as of the previous day.
As a result of this incident, the launch schedule for the second phase of the 'Everyone's Startup' initiative, originally set for next month, is expected to be postponed. Deputy Minister Roh responded to questions from reporters about the timeline for the second phase, saying, "We plan to adjust the launch date until trust is restored."
Earlier, the ministry disclosed that personal information of 5,000 participants in the 'Everyone's Startup' initiative had been leaked. Investigations revealed that the incident was not due to an external attack but was caused by the AI solution provider supporting the project.
Han Seung-sook, the Minister of SMEs and Startups and nominee for Prime Minister, remarked while arriving at the Financial Supervisory Service training center in Seoul, "The 'Everyone's Startup' initiative is not a finished product but a project that we are building together. However, no policy intention can take precedence over the responsibility of protecting citizens' personal information and trust."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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