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LG U+ CEO agrees to report hacking incident to authorities after originally claiming 'no evidence'

Published: 21 Oct. 2025, 18:10 Updated: 21 Oct. 2025, 19:59

LG U+ CEO Hong Bum-shik answers lawmakers’ questions about a hacking incident during the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee's audit of ICT-related agencies at the National Assembly building in western Seoul on Oct. 21. [YONHAP]

LG U+ CEO Hong Bum-shik said on Tuesday that the telecom operator will report a suspected hacking incident to authorities after facing scrutiny over how it responded to reports of a possible data leak.

During a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, Rep. Lee Hai-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party asked Hong whether LG U+ would file a report with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA).

“We will do so,” Hong replied.

Hong said the company had believed that such a report should be made only “after confirming the facts of a cyber intrusion.”

He added that “confusion and misunderstandings have arisen,” and that LG U+ “will review the matter more proactively.”

The CEO also said the company would “follow the procedures of the National Assembly and the Ministry of Science and ICT.”

In August, Phrack, a global cybersecurity publication, reported that information from 8,938 LG U+ servers, 42,526 accounts and 167 employees had been leaked.

KISA detected signs of hacking in July and urged LG U+ to report a data breach, but the company declined, saying there was “no evidence of data leakage.” The Ministry of Science and ICT later recommended an on-site investigation, which is now underway.

During the hearing, Rep. Lee criticized LG U+ for telling authorities that “information had been leaked, but no signs of a server intrusion were found,” saying it was like “claiming that someone’s belongings were discovered outside the house after a burglary yet insisting no one broke in.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]