Prime Minister Han Urges Swift Investigation of Financial Sector Hackers... Calls for Complete Overhaul of Certification System

Prime Minister Han Sung-sook expressed concern on October 6 regarding a series of hacking attacks, presumed to involve artificial intelligence (AI), that have recently occurred in the domestic financial sector, including major commercial banks. She stated, "I urge the police to concentrate all available resources and promptly investigate the hacking groups."

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook attended a meeting on October 6th at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the leakage of personal information from financial and public institutions. She spoke about the thorough investigation and preparation of countermeasures for hacking incidents involving artificial intelligence (AI) agents. 2026.10.6 Photo by Jo Yongjun

On the morning of October 6, Prime Minister Han presided over a meeting at the Government Seoul Office to address the leakage of personal information from financial and public institutions. She remarked, "This hacking attack is presumed to have utilized artificial intelligence, and if AI is further employed for phishing in the future, it could lead to secondary damages, highlighting the severity of the situation." She noted that on October 1, Shinhan Bank disclosed a personal information leak affecting approximately 25,000 people, and subsequently, KB Kookmin Bank and Hana Bank were also found to have experienced data breaches. In addition to these first-tier banks, the hacking incidents have also been confirmed at second-tier financial institutions such as Yegaram Savings Bank.

Prime Minister Han emphasized, "It is highly concerning that similar hacking methods could spread not only throughout the financial sector but also into the industrial sector and government or public areas in the future." She pointed out, "With the existing security awareness, systems, and government structural frameworks we have relied on so far, it will be difficult to respond to these new types of information environment changes." Han further urged that "the government and public institutions, financial sector, and corporations all need to be vigilant and seize this as an opportunity to fundamentally reestablish our security systems." She called on relevant authorities, including the Financial Services Commission, "to accurately determine the scope of leaked personal information, thoroughly analyze the cause, establish countermeasures, and provide the public with precise updates." She also instructed agencies to thoroughly supervise customer compensation to ensure it is fully implemented.

She stated, "It is time to fully review the framework related to personal information protection certification," repeatedly stressing, "We must expedite a comprehensive overhaul." Additionally, she cautioned, "Transparent information provision efforts must not be neglected, so that false information or fake news—such as reports of hacked deposit account details being circulated on social media—do not cause unnecessary public anxiety."

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