Rising Public Concern After Data Leak
Public concern is growing after the personal data leak at Lotte Card, which came soon after the KT hacking case. People expected the government to step in and resolve the crisis quickly, but the response has been slow and uncoordinated. Several agencies divided the responsibility for security and response, so they have not created a unified plan, and this has caused greater confusion.
Government Agencies Work in Isolation
The main problem is the lack of cooperation between government bodies. The Financial Security Institute handles hacking and data leaks in the financial sector, while the Korea Internet and Security Agency manages breaches at nonfinancial companies. The Financial Security Institute is under the Financial Services Commission, and the Korea Internet and Security Agency is under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since many hacking incidents involve both financial and nonfinancial elements, this divided structure makes it hard to share information or take quick joint action.
Inefficient Handling of the Crisis
The lack of coordination has also led to inefficiency. On September 23, lawmakers from the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee held a meeting on the Lotte Card hacking case. Lotte Card CEO Cho Jwa Jin and MBK Partners Vice Chairman Yoon Jong Ha attended to explain the situation, present victim protection measures, and discuss prevention plans. The National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee scheduled similar hearings a day later. Because different ministries are responsible, each committee is holding its own sessions, which risks scattering important information and worsening the confusion.
Disconnected Government Briefings
This division was also visible during a joint briefing by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Financial Services Commission on September 19. Instead of presenting a unified response, the vice minister from the Ministry of Science and ICT explained the KT hacking case, while the vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission spoke only about the Lotte Card breach. Both announced separate measures, but they did not offer a comprehensive nationwide plan.
Following this, Prime Minister Kim Min Seok called an emergency meeting and said the National Security Office would create cross ministerial measures. He also urged ministries to reflect on whether their complacency had contributed to the repeated incidents.
Calls for a National Cybersecurity Control Tower
The repeated failures have strengthened calls for the creation of a national security control tower. Some experts argue that Korea needs a new Cybersecurity Agency under the president, modeled on the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Lawmaker Yoo Yong Won already proposed a National Cybersecurity Act in July, which includes the creation of such an agency. Lawmaker Choi Su Jin also said that ministries such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Korean National Police Agency must be required to share information on hacking cases. He added that the Korea Internet and Security Agency should act as the main technical analysis and international response body for all cyber incidents in Korea.
Also read: Stellantis Confirms Data Breach and Explains What Information Was Exposed
