The Korean National Police Agency said Tuesday it had opened a preliminary inquiry after a passenger file containing sensitive details on 168 people, including President Lee Jae Myung, remained accessible online for months.
The agency said the file, titled “Passenger list (South Korea-Belgium),” was posted earlier in June to a fee-based security platform. Yonhap News Agency reported that the file was uploaded June 2 and stayed available for about five months before it became inaccessible.
The platform offered users malware checks for files and web addresses. Yonhap reported that paid members and other users could download files submitted to the site. Police suspect the passenger list was uploaded during a malware scan.
The document reportedly covered people aboard the presidential aircraft during Lee’s June visits to Belgium, Italy and France. It included names in Korean and English, affiliations, job titles, birth dates and passport details, including numbers and issue and expiration dates, Yonhap reported.
Those listed included Lee’s wife, Kim Hea Kyung, Cabinet ministers, government and security personnel, staff from Cheong Wa Dae and the Foreign Ministry, and journalists covering the presidential office.
Cheong Wa Dae said it had taken response measures after learning of the exposure. The Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies were to take further action, Yonhap reported.
