▲ CJ Group
A former employee suspected of leaking the personal information of CJ Group executives and staff members using the company's internal management system has been forwarded to prosecutors.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Crime Investigation Unit announced that it forwarded a man identified as Mr. A to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on the 25th of last month on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
Mr. A is accused of leaking the names, job titles, departments, mobile phone numbers, and photos of current and former CJ Group executives and employees onto a Telegram channel he created, starting in May 2023 while he was still employed by the company.
It was found that there are approximately 330 victims of the personal information leak, the majority of whom are women in their 20s and 30s.
The channel, which reportedly had about 2,800 members participating, is known to have had its ownership traded for cryptocurrency late last year.
Even after leaving the company due to the expiration of his contract, Mr. A continued his criminal acts by distributing the employee personal information he had stolen during his tenure on Telegram.
It was reported that immediately after recognizing the leak incident, CJ Group analyzed the relevant data and determined that it was an internal leak rather than an external hacking attack.
Subsequently, based on log records and other evidence, the company identified the former employee, Mr. A, as a suspect and filed a complaint with the police on May 19.
Upon receiving the complaint, the police took intensive investigative measures—including coordinating internationally to have the Telegram channel shut down, executing a search and seizure warrant at Mr. A's residence to secure evidence, and ultimately forwarding the case to prosecutors in about three months.
(Photo: Yonhap News TV capture, Yonhap News)
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