Police have officially launched an investigation into the leak of a security file containing personal identification information of 168 passengers aboard the presidential aircraft, known as 'Air Force One.'
On November 3, police announced that they have transitioned from a preliminary investigation to a formal inquiry regarding the incident involving an Excel file that was leaked online, which contained personal information of President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, as well as cabinet members. This shift in status occurred just one day after the initial investigation began.
The compromised file was uploaded in June to a paid security-related website under the title 'Passenger List (South Korea-Belgium).' This site allows paid members and security personnel to download files after checking for malware infections.
The leaked list included names, affiliations, positions, birth dates, passport numbers, and passport issuance and expiration dates of key figures, including President Lee, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, Minister of Science and ICT Lee Kwang-hoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lak, and former Chief of Policy Kim Yong-beom, among others. A total of 168 individuals were detailed, including security personnel, medical staff, aides, and members of the press.
The file is believed to have been uploaded during a malware check prior to President Lee's trip to Belgium for the EU summit and G7 meeting in June.
The file remained publicly accessible for about five months, from June 2 until shortly after media reports surfaced, at which point access was blocked and the file was deleted.
As the situation escalated, the government initiated an emergency response. The Blue House convened an urgent meeting led by Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun to conduct a comprehensive review of security management protocols for the trip and to establish measures to prevent future incidents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for managing Air Force One, officially reported the data leak to the Personal Information Protection Commission and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Personal Information Protection Commission has also received the report from the Foreign Ministry. A commission official stated, "We will verify the facts based on the report submitted."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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