South Korean Prime Minister Orders Cybersecurity Overhaul After Bank Attacks
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called for a comprehensive review of South Korea’s information-security systems after customer data leaks at three major banks raised concern about AI-assisted attacks and wider risks to public and private infrastructure.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called Tuesday for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s information-security systems after a series of cyberattacks affected major financial institutions and exposed customer information.
The incidents involved Hana Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank, according to officials. The succession of breaches has intensified concern that existing defenses may not be keeping pace with rapidly changing attack methods. President Lee Jae Myung has also called for the matter to be treated seriously and investigated thoroughly.
Han convened a meeting of relevant ministers to assess the attacks and coordinate the government response. She warned that the situation was particularly serious because artificial intelligence was believed to have been used in the incidents. If similar tools are applied to phishing, she said, the initial data exposure could be followed by additional harm to customers.
The prime minister also cautioned that the methods involved may not remain confined to banks and other financial businesses. Comparable techniques could spread to industrial companies, government agencies and public institutions, expanding the potential consequences beyond the organizations already affected.
Han said the recent breaches showed that existing security awareness, protective systems and government frameworks were insufficient for the changing information environment. She urged government bodies, public institutions, financial companies and private businesses to remain alert, deal with the immediate problem quickly and use the attacks as a catalyst for a broader review of their defenses.
The government response will combine criminal investigation with customer-protection measures. Han instructed police to mobilize all available capabilities to investigate the case. She also directed financial authorities to ensure that the institutions involved take appropriate steps to protect customers and provide compensation for damage.
The call for an overhaul shifts the policy focus from containing individual breaches to examining the resilience of South Korea’s wider digital infrastructure. The inclusion of government and industrial systems in Han’s warning suggests officials view the attacks as a test of national preparedness rather than an isolated banking problem.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the full scale of the customer-information leaks or detailed how artificial intelligence may have been used. The investigation will therefore be central to determining the attackers’ methods, assessing the risk of secondary phishing and identifying changes needed across public and private security systems.