KT Faces Criminal Complaint and Won 53.979 Billion Won Fine Over Data Breach

[Financial News] The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) imposed a fine of 53.979 billion won on KT Corporation over a personal data breach caused by an illegal femtocell last year. It also decided to file a criminal complaint over actions that obstructed the investigation, including the submission of false materials.

The commission also decided to ask investigative authorities to look into LG Uplus, which destroyed servers before the PIPC began its probe after the data breach, in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
The PIPC said on the 29th that it had held its 15th plenary meeting and imposed the 53.979 billion won fine on KT Corporation over the data breach. It also approved a corrective order requiring the company to prepare and report measures to prevent a recurrence within three months.
According to the PIPC's investigation, an illegal femtocell accessed KT's core mobile network and leaked subscribers' personal information. The commission found that KT had neglected access controls and other management duties, resulting in the leak of mobile phone numbers and other personal data belonging to 16,647 subscribers last year.
[email protected] Lee Gu-soon Reporter