Gov’t seeks police probe of KT for allegedly obstructing data breach investigation

According to Yonhap News, the Ministry of Science and ICT has asked the police to investigate allegations that KT obstructed a government probe into unauthorized mobile payment breaches. In late August, unauthorized mobile payments worth a combined 240 million won ($168,000) were reported in Seoul and nearby areas after the personal data of hundreds of KT users were compromised through illegal micro base stations.

The government subsequently formed a joint public-private investigation team to scrutinise the incident. The ministry said KT submitted false information regarding the timing of the server disposal and did not report backup logs for the disposed servers to the investigation team until 18 October, adding that there was intentional misconduct to obstruct the government investigation, including submitting false materials and concealing evidence. These claims emerged as the government pursues accountability for the data breach.