Nominee for PM Han Seong-sook Apologizes for Startup Program Data Leak

Han Seong-sook, the nominee for Prime Minister and current Minister of SMEs and Startups, has apologized for a significant data breach affecting the 'Startup for All' program. Thousands of participants had their personal information, including email addresses and business ideas, leaked from the platform.

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I sincerely apologize to all users who have experienced worry and inconvenience due to the leakage of personal information on the 'Startup for All' platform.

"I sincerely apologize to all users who have experienced worry and inconvenience due to the leakage of personal information on the 'Startup for All' platform," Han stated. She acknowledged the heavy responsibility as the minister in charge and expressed deep regret over the incident.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has taken immediate action to block external access and is collaborating with relevant agencies to investigate the cause and scope of the leak. Han emphasized that the ministry would conduct security diagnostics with specialized institutions to ensure objectivity and professionalism in identifying and rectifying security vulnerabilities.

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As the minister in charge of the responsible ministry, I feel a heavy responsibility and express my deep regret.

Protecting the affected users and their ideas is the top priority. Han pledged to implement necessary measures swiftly to prevent further damage and ensure the security of participants' innovative ideas. The ministry also plans to comprehensively review its personal information protection and security management systems, strengthen supervision of external vendors, and enhance security vulnerability checks to prevent recurrence. The findings of the investigation will be transparently disclosed, and accountability will be strictly enforced.

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We will transparently disclose the investigation results to the public and strictly enforce responsibility for any wrongdoing.