Korean PM Warns of AI-Driven Phishing After Data Breaches

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook warned that recent leaks of personal data at banks and public agencies could lead to secondary damage if artificial intelligence is used in phishing attacks, saying the incidents should serve as a trigger to completely rebuild the country's security systems.

Han made the remarks on the 6th while chairing a meeting on personal data leaks at financial firms and public institutions at the Government Complex Seoul in Seoul's Jongno District. "There is great concern that hacking of a similar nature could spread beyond the financial sector to industry and the government and public sector," she said. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung, Climate and Energy Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eok-won, Personal Information Protection Commission Chairperson Song Kyoung-hee, Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol and Lee Hae-min, senior presidential secretary for AI and future planning.

Han instructed the Financial Services Commission to determine the exact scope of the leaked personal data and thoroughly analyze the cause. She also called for oversight of customer protection and compensation by the financial firms involved, along with prompt security inspections across the financial sector. She asked the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Personal Information Protection Commission to take steps to prevent further hacking, noting that "it is time for a full review of the frameworks related to personal data protection certification." She added that relevant ministries should quickly draw up measures to secure a security framework suited to the new era and to recruit specialists in related technologies.