South Korea's parliamentary audit targets Tving hacking, Big Tech security; 42 witnesses called

South Korea's National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee convened a plenary session on the 22nd and passed a motion requiring 42 witnesses and reference witnesses to appear for the parliamentary audit, aimed at intensively examining the Tving hacking incident and big tech companies' personal data protection practices. The list, comprising 29 witnesses and 13 reference witnesses, includes a large number of CEOs and chief information security officers (CISOs) from South Korea's major telecom carriers and platform companies.

This year's parliamentary audit is expected to hold companies accountable for the recent spate of personal data breaches and cyber intrusion incidents. The committee specifically named both Tving CEO Choi Joo-hee and CJ ENM CEO Yoon Sang-hyun as witnesses in connection with Tving's large-scale hacking incident. Choi is expected to face questioning on the circumstances of the breach and customer compensation plans, while Yoon will be pressed on the parent company's information security governance and its investment, management, and oversight framework.

Security chiefs from the three major telecom carriers will also take the stand. Lee Jong-hyun, SK Telecom's CISO; Lee Sang-woon, head of KT's information security division; and Hong Gwan-hee, head of LG Uplus's information security center, were all named to the list. The committee plans to verify SK Telecom's USIM information protection measures, improvements to its information security management system, and damage compensation status following the 2025 cyber intrusion incident, while examining KT and LG Uplus on their incident response frameworks and post-reorganization security investment and staffing.

Personal data breach accountability at platform and service companies is also a key issue. Brett Anthony Mathis, CISO of Coupang; Kim Jung-hoon, CISO of Woowa Brothers; Lim Han-wook, CEO of Toss Payments; Shin Yong-seok, CISO of Toss Payments; Park Soo-kyung, CEO of Duo; and Hong Seung-il, CEO of Healing Paper (Gangnam Unni), were named as witnesses. Coupang in particular will face intensive questioning on whether follow-up corrective measures have been implemented since its personal data breach incident.

Heads of big tech Korean subsidiaries are also being summoned in large numbers. Google Korea President Yoon Koo has been called as a witness over in-app payment policies and YouTube subscription price discrepancies, while Apple Korea representative Mark Lee faces questions on the failure to link non-GPS location information in emergency rescue data and allegations of tax evasion. Meta Korea CEO Kim Jin-ah will be required to answer questions on personal data infringement and leakage, as well as social media impersonation accounts.

Countering the distribution of illegal information via social media is another core agenda item for this audit. X Korea CEO Shin Chang-seop will be questioned on the proliferation of narcotics sales and distribution posts on social media, reporting, blocking, and deletion measures, and the effectiveness of self-regulation regarding repeatedly generated related accounts. Oh Yeon-joo, Telegram's South Korea representative, was also included on the witness list regarding responses to illegal information distribution channels. On the safety of generative AI services, Scatter Lab CEO Kim Jong-yoon is scheduled to appear and answer questions on the risks of AI chatbots.

Broadcasting and retail sector issues are also on the audit table. GS Retail CEO Huh Seo-hong and Lotte Shopping CEO Kim Jae-kyum were named as witnesses regarding the effectiveness of the TV shopping license renewal system and win-win cooperation with small and medium-sized suppliers. The committee plans to examine overall trading practices including sales commissions, supplier payments, broadcast scheduling, and contract terms.

Regarding the suspension of Tongil TV broadcasting, KT Media Commerce Executive Vice President Park Hyun-jin and KT Media Business Division Head Kim Byung-jin will appear as witnesses. On the YTN sale controversy, Shin Seung-han, director at the Broadcasting Media Communications Commission, and Bae Joong-seop, executive vice chairman of the Korea Information Security Industry Association, were summoned. Nate CEO Lee Jong-sung was also named to the witness list to verify the platform's reporting and handling of false and manipulated information and its self-regulatory policies.

Witness selections continued in agency-specific audits as well. At the Korea Aerospace Research Institute audit on October 13, Changwon National University Professor Jang Soo-young was named as a witness regarding allegations that he personally removed security-related projects during his departure from the agency. At the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) audit on October 15, KISA President Lee Sang-joong was included among those required to appear regarding allegations of improper corporate credit card use during his tenure.

Thirteen reference witnesses were named, including Koo Kyo-hyun, head of the Public Transport Workers' Union Rider Union branch; Yeom Kyu-ho, chairman of the Korea Mobile Communications Distribution Association; Park Yoon-jo, representative of the JTBC bond victims' group; Jeon Jun-hyung, head of the National Union of Media Workers' YTN branch; and Lee Seung-chul, head of the Media Workers' Union KBS headquarters.

The audit schedule will begin on October 6 with the Ministry of Science and ICT, followed by the Broadcasting Media Communications Commission on October 12, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on October 13, and KISA on October 15. Through this audit, the committee is expected to clarify corporate accountability for recurring personal data breaches and cyber intrusion incidents, and to pressure companies to improve information security investment and management systems.

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