Personal information of 168 individuals who boarded Air Force One during President Lee Jae-myung's European trip in June has reportedly been exposed online for about five months, raising concerns about the Foreign Ministry's cybersecurity management. While the exact leak source remains unidentified, reports suggest that the leaked file was created using a Foreign Ministry template and was labeled with the abbreviation 'MOFA.'
On November 4, the Foreign Ministry stated regarding the controversy over the author name, "We are verifying the facts in cooperation with relevant agencies such as the National Police Agency, making it difficult to provide specific answers." If the author name is confirmed as MOFA, it would lend weight to the possibility that the document was created by the Foreign Ministry.
Previously, a Foreign Ministry official indicated to reporters that the incident is believed to be a leak rather than a hack. The official explained, "We conducted an urgent security check on our systems, including email systems and external communication channels, and found no evidence of data leaks, unauthorized hacking, or abnormal access at the time the file was posted on the virus scanning site." The Foreign Ministry emphasized that this incident is distinct from the recent hacking case involving the National Diplomatic Academy.
Additionally, while the ministry stated that its internal network handling security documents is separate from the internet, concerns have been raised that someone could have transferred shared materials to a removable storage device (USB). The Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the exposed form appears to be one of its own but stated it cannot speculate on the leak's source. If it is determined to be the action of a Foreign Ministry employee, appropriate measures will be taken.
Park Chung-kwon, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, criticized the situation on Facebook, calling it a "security disaster of the Lee Jae-myung administration" and noted that the government only became aware of the issue just before media reports surfaced. He pointed out that the supposedly secure file was uploaded without any password and remained accessible even after the National Diplomatic Academy hacking incident was revealed in July. He criticized the government's amateurish handling of basic security protocols.
He further questioned, "If a leak occurs in a company, it could lead to its downfall; should the government simply brush it off? It's time for the government to be held to the same standards it applies to businesses," referencing President Lee's earlier comments during the Coupang incident about imposing severe economic sanctions on companies that violate regulations and harm the public.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has allocated a cybersecurity budget of 15.5 billion won for the upcoming year, more than quadrupling this year's budget of 3.8 billion won. This budget proposal is set to be finalized after review by the National Assembly. As the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts begins a two-day comprehensive policy inquiry, there are expectations for rigorous scrutiny of Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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