Ministry of SMEs and Startups Apologizes for Startup for Everyone Data Breach: "We Take Responsibility for Follow-Up Measures"

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on November 14 regarding the personal information breach involving “Startup for Everyone,” a nationwide entrepreneurship project, “We sincerely apologize for the concern and inconvenience experienced by everyone who took part in Startup for Everyone.”

The ministry and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, an agency under the ministry, posted a statement on the project website that day, saying, “As the institutions responsible for operating the Startup for Everyone support program, we take this incident very seriously.”

The ministry said, “We will take responsibility for follow-up measures to protect those affected and prevent a recurrence, so that we can uphold public trust in government support programs,” adding, “We will strengthen the management and inspection of personal information protection not only in systems operated directly by the government but also in private services linked to government support programs.”

It added, “To this end, Startup for Everyone will promptly conduct further checks to establish the exact circumstances of the incident and the necessary measures, and will provide transparent updates on the follow-up response so as to ease participants’ concerns.”

It also pledged, “We will fulfill our responsibility to the end by protecting those affected and taking the necessary follow-up measures so that participants can take part in the program with peace of mind.”

Earlier, on the morning of November 11, a personal information breach affecting 818 participants occurred at one of the artificial intelligence (AI) solution providers participating in the project.

The ministry had maintained that the breach occurred in an AI solution independently operated by a private company. However, after calls criticizing the government’s responsibility and demanding compensation for those affected grew louder, particularly on the Startup for Everyone bulletin board, it issued an apology that day.

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