 |
Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Lee Jeong-ryeol, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), announced on the 20th that the Commission is “currently conducting an investigation” into KT’s unauthorized small-payment incident and is “working in coordination with the Ministry of Science and ICT where necessary.”
Speaking at a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul, Chairperson Lee stated, “There are interconnected aspects and a division of responsibilities between agencies, and we are working closely together,” adding, “We will make every effort to conduct a thorough investigation and take action strictly in accordance with the law.”
He also noted that the probe is focused on determining potential violations of the Personal Information Protection Act.
Regarding the timeline for announcing the investigation results, Lee explained: “We deployed substantial resources to the SK Telecom investigation—about 11 investigators, including key personnel. For KT, the scope to review is even broader. As this matter is still under way, we must also verify the findings announced by the joint investigation team of the Ministry of Science and ICT.”
He added, “It is difficult to guarantee a conclusion within this year. Please allow us time as the investigation continues.”
The PIPC received an additional data-breach notification from KT in October. During a full review of small-payment fraud cases, KT discovered additional illegal microcell (small base station) IDs, indicating a possible leak involving 2,197 users’ subscriber identification numbers, device identifiers, and mobile phone numbers.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
