The South Korean government is rushing to investigate the leak of personal data belonging to President Lee Jae-myung, the First Lady, and 168 accompanying officials from an overseas trip. The information was exposed on a cybersecurity website and remained accessible for nearly five months. The leaked data includes passport numbers, birthdates, and identifying details of the president’s security personnel.
South Korea is urgently investigating the leak of personal information of President Lee Jae-myung and members of his entourage from a foreign visit last June. The data was published on a publicly accessible website. A total of 168 individuals were affected, including the First Lady, senior government officials, security personnel, and journalists who traveled with the president.
Local media reported that the data file was uploaded to VirusTotal, a file and malware scanning platform, on 2 June—about a week before President Lee's European visit. The file remained accessible for nearly five months until it was discovered and subsequently removed from the site.
The leaked information includes individuals’ names in both Korean and English, their affiliated agencies, job titles, dates of birth, passport numbers, and the issuance and expiration dates of the passports.
Those affected include Kim Yong-bom, then head of the presidential policy office; Wee Seong-lak, national security adviser; Cho Hyun, foreign minister; as well as ministers, presidential office staff, medical personnel, and security officers who closely protect the president. Ordinarily, such personal identification data is kept confidential.
The exposure of security personnel’s data has caused particular concern, as it could compromise the president’s security measures. KBS television reported that paying members and antivirus software developers could download the file without restrictions, making it difficult to verify who accessed the information.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it has renewed passports for all affected individuals, including the president and First Lady. The ministry is coordinating with the national police agency and relevant authorities to investigate the cause and identify those responsible for the incident.
Park Doo-soon, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a Tuesday press briefing that the ministry is conducting a thorough investigation, including technical computer examinations and review of the email accounts used to prepare for the president’s June overseas visit.
He added that the ministry views the incident as a data leak rather than a cyberattack. Additional damage prevention measures have been taken, including removing the leaked data from the website and checking if other personal information was exposed. Preliminary results have not found evidence of the data being widely disseminated.
However, the ministry has not disclosed who uploaded the file or whether it was an accidental error or intentional release. The Korea Herald, citing government sources, reported that the leak may have originated from agencies other than the presidential office, and that the National Intelligence Service is involved in the investigation.
Im Kwang-hyun, chief of the presidential task force, convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the incident, describing it as a serious issue that cannot be overlooked. He ordered relevant agencies to thoroughly examine how the leak occurred, what information was disclosed, and whether any actual harm resulted.
He also called for an investigation into the accountability of the involved agencies and a review of the security management system for all presidential overseas trips, aiming to develop preventive measures against similar incidents in the future.
This incident has raised concerns about the security of South Korean leadership, as the leaked information includes not only personal details of the president and First Lady but also personnel closely protecting the president. This may impact operational security and future international visits.