Cyber breaches expose South Korea's frail defenses as it chases AI leadership
By Jenny Lee ( September 30, 2025, 09:23 GMT | Comment) -- In 2025, a cascade of breaches exposed the personal data of millions of South Koreans and allegedly compromised government systems, revealing how the country's rush toward AI leadership left its cybersecurity defenses dangerously unprepared. The incidents succeeded not through sophisticated attacks but by exploiting basic vulnerabilities — unpatched software, unsecured equipment and certification systems that provided false assurance — raising questions about whether South Korea can achieve its technological ambitions without first repairing its broken security foundations.Twenty-seven million South Koreans had their mobile phone identities stolen. Three million more saw their financial data exposed in a credit card breach. Hundreds lost money through fraudulent payments after hackers penetrated telecommunications infrastructure. And according to published reports, hackers may have penetrated deep into government systems, accessing civil servants' log-in credentials and internal documents without detection....
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