The Foreign Ministry clarified on November 3 that the personal information of passengers aboard Air Force One was leaked, not hacked, and stated that "passport reissuance measures for all individuals, including the President and First Lady, are being implemented swiftly."
Park Du-sun, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, made these remarks during a briefing at the ministry's office in Jongno, Seoul. He noted, "As soon as the ministry confirmed the leak, we requested an investigation from relevant agencies and are currently conducting an inquiry into the circumstances of the leak." He added that a comprehensive and in-depth investigation is underway, including technical checks on computers and emails related to the presidential trip in June.
He emphasized that measures have been taken to delete the relevant information from the problematic site and to prevent further damage by verifying any additional data leaks. Park stated, "The ministry takes this matter very seriously and will thoroughly investigate to identify and analyze the cause of the leak," adding that various measures will be implemented to prevent further damage and similar incidents.
However, he did not provide a clear answer regarding the circumstances and timing of the leak. Park mentioned, "We were aware of the situation before the media reports were released, and the background, circumstances of the leak, and procedures will be investigated jointly with relevant agencies." He also noted, "As of now, there is no indication of further dissemination or distribution of the information," and assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted, considering various possibilities.
Meanwhile, it was reported the day before that an Excel file containing the list of passengers aboard Air Force One during President Lee Jae-myung's trip to Europe in June was posted on a paid internet site that provides malware scanning services.
The file reportedly included the Korean and English names, affiliations, positions, dates of birth, passport numbers, and issuance and expiration dates of passports for 168 individuals, including the President and First Lady. The file was posted a week before the President's departure for Europe on June 9 and was accessible to paid members for about five months, raising concerns.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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