▲ President Lee Jae-myung
It has belatedly come to light that the personal information of President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, Cheong Wa Dae staff, and cabinet members was leaked en masse on an internet website.
It was revealed that a file containing the passenger list for Air Force One, the presidential aircraft, was posted on a paid security-related website in June.
The file was found to contain the names and personal information of key government officials, including President Lee and his wife, then-Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Yong-beom, Director of National Security Wi Sung-lac, and current Prime Minister Han Seong-sook.
As many as 168 individuals reportedly had their information exposed, including staff from Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agents from the Presidential Security Service, and reporters covering Cheong Wa Dae.
The disclosed personal data includes Korean and English names, affiliations and titles, dates of birth, passport numbers, and dates of passport issuance and expiration.
Under the circumstances, it is presumed that the exposed information belongs to individuals who boarded Air Force One during a European tour in June that included visits to Belgium, Italy, and France.
The file was reportedly accessible for download without any restrictions by paying members of the site and had remained exposed for approximately five months.
In response, Cheong Wa Dae stated, "We took countermeasures after becoming aware of the matter prior to the reports," adding, "Additional measures are scheduled to be taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies going forward."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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