The investigation into the SK Telecom hacking incident conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT's public-private joint investigation team has recently been completed. However, the government is delaying the announcement as it is cautious of the National Assembly. There are concerns that the postponement of the report originally scheduled for the 30th may have also delayed the announcement of the investigation results.
According to reports from the National Assembly and the industry on the 1st, the Ministry of Science and ICT was initially supposed to confidentially report the final investigation results of the SK Telecom hacking incident to the National Assembly's Science and Technology Information and Communication Committee task force on the 30th and to later disclose them through the media. However, it has been reported that the reporting of the investigation results was temporarily postponed due to the scheduling issues of the National Assembly task force members. A telecommunications industry official noted, "I understand that the government did not coordinate schedules with the National Assembly task force in advance," adding, "For instance, I believe it has influenced that Shin Dong-joo, policy researcher of the Democratic Party of Korea who participated in the task force related to the SK Telecom hacking incident, has entered the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning."
There are voices in and out of the industry suggesting that it is problematic for the final investigation results, which should first be disclosed to SK Telecom, the party affected by the hacking incident, and the public, to be reported to the National Assembly task force first, leading to the postponement. Initially, Minister Yoo Sang-im of the Ministry of Science and ICT had stated on the 30th that he would announce the final investigation results. However, the Ministry of Science and ICT has not yet revealed the timing of this announcement, possibly due to schedule coordination with the National Assembly. The delay in the government's announcement has increased the likelihood of a delay in the government's position on the waiver of penalties expected on the 4th of this month. Minister Yoo mentioned that he plans to convey the final investigation results to a law firm to consult on the legal judgment regarding the waiver of penalties. An official from the telecommunications industry said, "It is inevitable that the announcement of the government's stance on the waiver of penalties will be delayed since we cannot send the final investigation results to the law firm before announcing it to the public."
The fact that the National Assembly's task force is composed primarily of assistants rather than lawmakers is also under scrutiny. It raises the question of whether it is appropriate to delay reporting the final investigation results, which the public should be informed of first, to a task force made up of assistants.
The complete list of the National Assembly's task force has not been made public. However, looking at the list of attendees from the first meeting of the task force held on May 16, there were no lawmakers present. The attendees at that time included Shin Dong-joo, policy researcher of the Democratic Party of Korea, Jeon In-seong, policy researcher of the People Power Party, two assistants from Choi Min-hee's office, an assistant from Kim Hyun's office, an assistant from Choi Hyung-du's office, Lee Dong-yeop, legislative researcher for the National Assembly's Science and Technology Information and Communication Committee, Heo Ji-hyun, legislative researcher for the same committee, Kim Seung-joo from Korea University, Choi Woo-hyeok, director of information security network policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Jeong Hye-seon, chief of user policy at the Korea Communications Commission, among 11 attendees.
An Jeong-sang, adjunct professor at Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Communication, said, "The public is eagerly awaiting the announcement of the final investigation results of the SK Telecom hacking incident, but the government is neglecting the public by falling into 'National Assembly first-ism.'" He also commented, "If the investigation has been completed, it is right to announce it immediately," adding, "It is absurd that a legal review on the waiver of penalties, which has already been completed, would be done again after the announcement of the final investigation results."
Meanwhile, on the 30th, Ryu Je-myung, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "The technical verification has already been completed, and Minister Yoo Sang-im stated that the issue regarding the penalties would be targeted for July 4, but the announcement schedule regarding the SK Telecom hacking investigation results needs to be discussed further with the National Assembly."