South Korea opens formal inquiry into presidential passenger-data leak
Police moved to a formal investigation after personal information concerning 168 presidential-plane passengers appeared on a malware-scanning platform. The Foreign Ministry is examining document handling and arranging replacement passports. The file was uploaded before a June European trip; investigators have not established how it reached the site or who was responsible.
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Formal police inquiry
South Korean police opened a formal investigation on 3 November into the exposure of personal information concerning 168 people travelling aboard the presidential aircraft. The inquiry followed a preliminary examination that began the previous day. The passenger file concerned President Lee Jae-myung’s European travel in June and included members of his entourage, security personnel, medical staff and journalists. It contained identifying and passport information. The investigation concerns how that document became accessible online before the delegation departed, as well as the handling of sensitive material associated with an overseas presidential journey.[1], [2]
June upload
The government said a file had been uploaded on 2 June to VirusTotal, an online service used to check files for malicious software. The spreadsheet remained accessible for about five months before it was removed. The presidential trip began on 9 June and included Belgium, Italy and France, with attendance at the Group of Seven summit, a meeting of major industrialised countries. The upload therefore preceded departure by a week. The Foreign Ministry said it was examining whether documents managed by its protocol office had been deliberately disclosed. The cause of the leak had not been established.[1], [2]
Passports and internal review
The Foreign Ministry said it had requested investigations by the relevant authorities and was working with the national police. It said the exposed information had been removed and that replacement passports were being arranged for those affected. A separate internal inquiry is examining the circumstances. The ministry also notified the Personal Information Protection Commission, South Korea’s privacy regulator, which said it would examine the facts submitted. The presidential office convened an urgent review of security management for the trip. Although the ministry said it had found no indications of further distribution so far, it said its examination would continue, including checks for additional exposure.[1], [2]
The Foreign Ministry said it learned of the exposure before media reports appeared. Its initial assessment pointed toward internal mishandling rather than an external hack. Investigators were checking the protocol office’s document handling, including the possibility of a deliberate disclosure, while the privacy regulator’s examination was to begin from the ministry’s report.[2]
