Han Seong-sook Says She Feels a Heavy Sense of Responsibility Over Data Leak in "Startups for All"

[Financial News] Han Seong-sook, the Prime Minister nominee, issued a formal apology over the personal data leak involving the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Startups for All" project.
Arriving at the confirmation hearing preparation office at the FSS training center in Tongui-dong, Seoul, on the 22nd, Han, who serves as minister of SMEs and Startups, said, "I sincerely apologize to all users who have experienced concern and inconvenience."
Han apologized again, saying, "We failed to protect the trust of those who believed in the government and took on the challenge of starting a business," and added, "As the minister in charge, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility and offer my deepest apologies."
She went on to say, "We launched Startups for All with the idea that it is not a finished product, but a project built together as a process." She added, "However, no policy purpose can come before our responsibility to protect the public's personal information and trust."
She also stressed the need for additional measures to prevent further damage. Han said, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups immediately implemented emergency security measures after becoming aware of the incident." She added, "We are currently investigating the cause of the incident, how the leak occurred, and the scope of the damage together with the relevant authorities. To ensure objectivity and expertise in the security review, we will also work with an external cybersecurity specialist to conduct diagnostics and draw up improvement measures."
She also said, "We will closely examine the various concerns raised before the incident, as well as the overall process of system development and operation, and thoroughly verify whether any shortcomings existed in supervision and management, including whether necessary measures were taken in a timely manner." She added, "We will comprehensively review our personal data protection and security management systems and strengthen oversight of outsourced contractors and inspections of security vulnerabilities to ensure that similar cases do not happen again."
Han emphasized, "We will disclose the results of the investigation transparently to the public and take strict action regarding any wrongdoing and responsibility." She added, "This incident must not dampen young people's passion for entrepreneurship or their determination to take on new challenges."
Earlier, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said that the personal information of 5,000 successful applicants to the "Startups for All" project had been leaked. Investigators later found that the incident was not caused by an external attack, but by a hack targeting a company that participated in supporting the project's applicants.


hippo@fnnews.com Kim Chan-mi Reporter