SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -Shinsegae Group has become another South Korean major retailer to report data breach involving 80,000 employees and workers at partner companies, although no customer data was compromised.
Shinsegae I&C, the group’s information technology arm, said Friday it had detected signs of unauthorized access to its internal intranet and confirmed that employee-related data had been leaked.
The exposed information includes corporate ID numbers, names, departmental affiliations and IP addresses of Shinsegae Group employees as well as staff working for subcontractors, the company said.
“No customer information was leaked,” Shinsegae I&C said in a statement.
The company said it first detected the breach on Wednesday and reported the incident to the Korea Internet & Security Agency on Friday afternoon. Upon discovery, it conducted an emergency inspection, blocked affected systems and accounts, and took protective measures to prevent further damage.
A malware infection is suspected to be behind the breach, although the exact cause has yet to be determined, according to the company.
“We are currently investigating the precise cause and the full scope of the incident,” a Shinsegae official said, adding that the firm will actively cooperate with authorities.
In an internal notice, Shinsegae I&C advised employees to immediately change their work-system passwords and remain vigilant against suspicious emails or phishing attempts.
The company also said it plans to strengthen its security management systems to prevent a recurrence.
Shinsegae Group is one of South Korea’s largest retail conglomerates, operating department stores, duty-free shops, the E-Mart discount chain and the Starbucks franchise in Korea. Its department store unit ranked second nationwide in 2024, operating 13 outlets and posting sales of 12.3 trillion won, accounting for 31.3 percent of the market.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny over data security, following a major breach at e-commerce giant Coupang that exposed personal information of nearly 34 million customers and remains under investigation.
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