Lee So-young: "Will Redesignate 'Everyone's Startup' Vendor Next Year to Build New Platform"

Regarding the "Everyone's Startup" project, which suffered a leak of participants' personal information and startup ideas last June, Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee So-young stated today (the 7th), "I understand that we will redesignate the [platform operation] vendor next year to build a new platform."

Minister Lee made the remark during the parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee in response to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Han-hong, who pointed out that "the vendor that leaked personal information is being used again for the second phase of the Everyone's Startup project."

Minister Lee explained, "The second phase of the project was not newly awarded; rather, the platform created under the [existing] contract was continuously used in the second phase as well," adding, "As I understand it, no additional contracts were signed or expenses paid."

She stated, "Following the incident [the data leak], the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Personal Information Protection Commission reviewed the situation and implemented security measures," and added, "Security is currently even more verified than it would be on a newly built platform."

She further emphasized, "I understand that the police are investigating and some cases have been forwarded to the prosecutors' office," and added, "We have provided full support, including technology escrow, to all victims who applied, and we will pull ourselves together to ensure that such an incident never happens again."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.