TVING Estimates Per-Person Data Breach Compensation at KRW 20,000... Targeting 19.5 Million Customers, Excluding Duplicates (Comprehensive)

September 3 Briefing on Cyber Breach
CEO Choi Juhee: "We Will Implement Measures to Prevent Recurrence"
"Regret for Financial Impact... Will Increase Investment in Content"

Tving executives, including CEO Juhee Choi (second from the right), apologized for the personal information leak incident on the 3rd at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2026.9.3 Yonhap News Agency

TVING, which experienced a personal information leak affecting 39.54 million accounts, has officially apologized for the incident and announced plans to quadruple its investment in information security by 2030 compared to the preceding five years. As part of its customer compensation plan, the company will offer a cyber safety insurance covering up to KRW 3 million for incidents such as cyber financial fraud, in addition to providing TVING points worth KRW 5,000.

On September 3, at Koreana Hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, TVING held a ‘Briefing on the Cybersecurity Incident’ during which it issued an official apology and announced its information security investment plan and customer compensation package.

Juhee Choi, CEO of TVING, said, “We humbly accept the results of the joint government-private investigation team, and I sincerely apologize for the concern and anxiety this incident has caused our customers.” She added, “We will responsibly implement measures to prevent recurrence in order to regain our customers’ trust.”

In response to the personal information leak, TVING will completely overhaul its security framework. The company plans to increase its investment in information protection, expand its security workforce, and rebuild its security systems based on a Zero-Trust model. TVING will also establish new governance structures and cultivate a robust security culture while enhancing expertise through external cooperation.

Information Security Investments to Increase Fourfold Compared to Previous 5 Years

First, TVING will significantly boost both its investment in information security and its expert manpower. By 2030, the company will spend about four times more on information protection than in the previous five years, thereby strengthening its own security capabilities. The security organization will be segmented into product security, cloud security, enterprise IT security, and compliance security systems. Professional staff will be tripled over the next five years. A TVING representative stated, “Last year, we invested KRW 2.5 billion in information protection, and we estimate this figure will increase to KRW 3 billion this year,” adding, “Based on these numbers, by 2030, investment is expected to reach roughly KRW 10 to 12 billion.” The company is currently recruiting additional security experts and plans to add 10 more by year’s end.

Additionally, all security fundamentals will be completely enhanced according to Zero-Trust principles. Company-wide security standards will require authentication and access control to be verified step-by-step for every process, while a standardized system will ensure that only the minimum necessary privileges are granted, depending on job responsibilities and purposes.

Assuming the possibility of internal breaches, TVING will further refine its security structure by separating and isolating system and network domains and by strengthening protection measures for critical data, including personal information. AI-powered intelligent detection and real-time automated response systems will be introduced to immediately block or quarantine threats as they are detected, thereby elevating the overall level of security.

Tiving CEO Juhee Choi is apologizing for the personal information leakage incident at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on September 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

TVING will also renew its security governance framework and work to establish a company-wide security-oriented culture. Under a CEO-CISO-CPO system, a new security task force will be established to ensure prompt and coordinated responses, and a positive feedback loop—from identifying security issues to making decisions, taking actions, and monitoring—will be firmly rooted. Custom security training by job role and realistic, hands-on simulation drills will be conducted regularly, embedding security ownership among all employees.

Finally, the company will build an objective verification framework involving external security experts. Reporting directly to the CEO, an ‘Information Security Innovation Advisory Committee’ will be formed to strengthen multifaceted verification, consulting on policies and systems, and further enhance the completeness of security policies and technical systems. The committee consists of four members, three of whom have been appointed as of now.

Hacking and Phishing Insurance, TVING Points Provided

To restore customer trust and prevent additional damages, TVING will offer a compensation package that includes: hacking and phishing insurance, an upgraded premium viewing experience, TVING points, and entertainment coupons.

The safety insurance will be provided for one year, compensating up to KRW 3 million per person not only for cyber financial fraud stemming from hacking or phishing but also for cases involving internet shopping scams or peer-to-peer transaction fraud. The premium viewing experience will be upgraded automatically without a separate application process.

TVING will distribute TVING points worth KRW 5,000, valid for purchasing the latest movies and other content. The company will also offer entertainment coupons, with the option to select one of the following: a 1-month Wavve advertising video on demand (AVOD) voucher valued at KRW 5,500, or a CGV combo discount coupon (KRW 5,000 discount on one of three combos).

Applications for the compensation package will be accepted between September 7 and September 30 and will be implemented beginning October 6. Additional details and application procedures can be found in announcements on the TVING official app and website.

CEO Juhee Choi: “All Withdrawn and Dormant Customers Will Be Compensated”

Chuhee Choi, CEO of TVING, is apologizing for the personal information leakage incident at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on September 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

Asked about the financial burden from the data leak, TVING responded, “It is realistically unfeasible to grant compensation worth KRW 20,000 per customer to all 19.5 million individuals we have identified after removing duplicates,” further explaining, “Among our compensation options, some entail cash expenses while others are cost-based, and as the package is structured with various options, it is not appropriate to simply apply a flat estimate.” TVING intends to make further disclosures about financial impact related to the personal information breach at a later date.

TVING emphasized that it will provide compensation to all customers who have withdrawn their membership or whose accounts are currently dormant. However, identity verification is required, which means users must go through the sign-up process, though a paid subscription is not necessary. A TVING spokesperson noted, “Roughly 17 million customers have either withdrawn or have dormant accounts, and all of them will be compensated,” adding, “Because matching personal information with company records is required to process compensation, membership registration is inevitably necessary.”

Choi concluded, “As TVING continues to grow as an online video service (OTT) in Korea, I deeply regret and apologize for the financial burden this data breach has created as CEO,” adding, “I believe the greatest driver for rebuilding trust and encouraging customers to enjoy TVING once again is content, so we will further invest in content and aim for global expansion.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.