In brief
South Korea’s main opposition party, the People Power Party, blasted the presidential office after a file containing personal information of President Lee Jae‑Myung and 167 others was uploaded to a public website, calling the incident a security disaster. The ruling Democratic Party countered that the leak was politicized and urged restraint. Police have opened a formal investigation into the breach.
On Tuesday, South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party (PPP) slammed the presidential office after a file that listed personal information of President Lee Jae‑Myung and 167 other officials was posted on a publicly accessible website during a June overseas trip.
PPP spokesperson Cho Yong‑sool called the leak a "security disaster akin to leaving the door wide open to an enemy or a terrorist group" and said the data exposed identities of security personnel, medical staff and aides assisting the president. Cho demanded that Lee issue an apology for the office’s "lax discipline" and hold those responsible accountable.
"The data leak of key information related to a presidential overseas trip to the public amounts to a security disaster," Cho said.
Jang Dong‑hyeok, the PPP leader, echoed Cho’s condemnation on Facebook, urging that penalties for personal data breaches be harsh enough to deter companies from mishandling information. He wrote that the presidential office should "go down" for the breach.
In response, Democratic Party spokesperson Lee Ju‑hee warned the opposition to stop politicizing the incident and fueling public anxiety over unverified allegations. She noted that the government had deleted the posted information and was checking for any further leaks.
"For the PPP to be a responsible opposition party, it should stop turning everything into a political issue and fueling public anxiety, but rather wait for the results of the government investigation," Lee said.
Cheong Wa Dae acknowledged that it had taken “necessary measures” after becoming aware of the leak, and police have launched a formal investigation into the incident.
As the investigation proceeds, the government is monitoring for any additional disclosures of personal data related to the president’s overseas trips.
