The South Korean government is preparing to launch a large-scale security vulnerability audit of approximately 170 critical IT infrastructure facilities in the private sector, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a government official. The decision comes amid a series of cyberattacks targeting government agencies and financial institutions that led to commercial bank customer data leaks throughout 2026. South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT will directly conduct vulnerability assessments at 111 organizations managing such infrastructure, with a particular focus on internet-connected systems such as websites and public servers. The assessment is expected to be completed by the end of the current year.
Sixteen Banks and Presidential Call for AI Security
The new measures are a direct consequence of a total of 16 commercial banks in the country reporting cyberattacks resulting in customer data leaks in 2026. President Lee Jae-myung publicly expressed concern over these incidents and called for the development of cybersecurity solutions suited to the artificial intelligence era. According to him, traditional approaches to digital infrastructure protection are no longer capable of countering modern threats, and the country must rebuild its entire cybersecurity architecture taking into account the capabilities and risks brought by AI.
October 28: Three Financial Companies Confirm Leaks
On October 28, three South Korean financial companies — Daishin Securities, Mirae Asset Global Investments, and the Bithumb cryptocurrency exchange — confirmed customer data leaks. Daishin Securities stated that hackers stole the personal information of 38,490 clients, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. Last week, the company detected signs of unauthorized access to its system, notified affected clients, and engaged with law enforcement agencies for an investigation. Daishin promised to compensate clients for losses in accordance with current legislation if the incident causes any damages.
Bithumb Crypto Exchange and Regulatory Investigation
Regarding Bithumb, an industry source reported that an external cyberattack resulted in the leak of personal information belonging to a number of the cryptocurrency exchange's clients. Simultaneously, South Korean financial regulators launched an investigation into Mirae Asset Global Investments. Thus, in a single day, three major players in the financial market — a brokerage, an asset management company, and a crypto platform — simultaneously confirmed data compromises, sharply heightening public concerns over the resilience of the financial sector's digital infrastructure.
Context: Digitalization as a Vulnerability
The series of incidents in 2026 highlights a systemic problem: securities trading, asset management, and cryptocurrency operations in South Korea increasingly rely on digital platforms, turning every vulnerability into a potential channel for mass access to personal data. The large-scale audit of 170 facilities being prepared by Seoul will be the largest audit of private IT infrastructure in the country's history and, according to the authorities, is intended to identify systemic gaps before malicious actors can exploit them in larger attacks. The audit results are expected to form the basis of a new national cybersecurity plan focused on integrating AI tools into threat detection and prevention systems.
