Government Criticized by Ruling and Opposition Parties in Science and Technology Committee Audit Over Hacking Incidents: "What is the Government Doing?"

Choi Min-hee's Child's Wedding Ceremony Again Comes Under Scrutiny... Criticized as "Cowardly Excuse" for Response, Choi States "Will Respond to Dissemination of False Information"

Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT Ryu Je-myeong responds (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-seong = Ryu Je-myeong, Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, is answering questions from committee members during the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Institute for Information and Communication Technology Promotion, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency by the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 21st. 2025.10.21 utzza@yna.co.kr

Members of both the ruling and opposition parties on the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee urged the government on the 21st to take preemptive action against a series of hacking incidents during the parliamentary audit of the Institute for Information and Communication Technology Promotion, among others.

Lee Hoon-ki, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, "There have been countless hacking incidents, so what exactly has the Ministry of Science and ICT been doing? From the public's perspective, it's unavoidable to think that the government's personal information protection management system is practically useless."

He particularly pointed out that SK Telecom and KT reported hacking incidents belatedly after becoming aware of them, stating, "If a report is not made within 24 hours, a fine is imposed, but a fine of a few million won seems to hold no meaning for telecommunications companies with tens of trillions in revenue. This is a slap on the wrist," he criticized.

Lee Jeong-heon, also from the same party, ordered improvements to the system, including the Internet of Things (IoT) security certification system, saying, "If we fail to create a security system that meticulously protects the personal information of our citizens, it could lead to a major national disaster beyond everyday threats."

Kim Jang-gyeom, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, criticized the government's response, saying, "I repeatedly emphasized the need to investigate KT and LG Uplus when the SK Telecom hacking incident occurred, but it happened again and again. The government's response is merely a superficial improvement."

Choi Soo-jin, a lawmaker from the same party, pointed out, "While the Lee Jae-myung administration pledged to support the development of artificial intelligence (AI) science and technology, it seems to be revealing too many vulnerabilities in digital security." Lee Sang-hwi, another lawmaker, expressed concern, calling data hacking a "national crisis."

Rep. Park Jeong-hoon listens to Chairperson Choi Min-hee's remarks [Yonhap News Archive Photo]

Meanwhile, a controversy surrounding the child's wedding ceremony of Choi Min-hee, chairperson of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, resurfaced during the audit on this day.

Park Jeong-hoon, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, once again raised issues regarding Chairperson Choi holding her child's wedding ceremony at the National Assembly during the parliamentary audit period, stating, "I suspect that many people present here today may have attended Chairperson Choi's wedding, sent congratulatory money, or sent a flower wreath. I do not believe it is appropriate to conduct a parliamentary audit with these individuals as the audience."

Regarding Chairperson Choi's explanation from the previous day, suggesting she was unable to pay attention to her daughter's wedding due to audit preparations, he retorted, "That is a truly cowardly excuse. The host is you," and asked, "Didn't you arrange everything?"

In response, Chairperson Choi stated, "I have never sent wedding invitations to companies or institutions under audit. The couple themselves decided on all aspects of the venue and time," and added, "I will take all possible measures against the dissemination of these absurd false information." Yonhap News