Ryu Young-sang, president of SK Telecom, Kim Young-sub, president of KT, and Hong Beom-sik, president of LG Uplus, are expected to appear as witnesses at the National Assembly's audit of government offices next month. Questions about the recent string of hacking incidents are likely to focus on the three telecommunications companies' chief executive officers (CEOs).
According to the National Assembly on the 25th, a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT will be held on the 13th of next month, and of the Korea Communications Commission on the 14th of the same month. On the 21st of the same month, an audit will be conducted of hacking-related subordinate agencies: the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), the Korea Communications Agency (KCA), the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), the Software Policy & Research Institute, the National Information Society Agency (NIA), and the Korea Data Agency. The Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee recently finalized the list of witnesses and reference persons for the audit.
KT, which suffered an unauthorized small-amount payment hacking incident this month, saw not only its CEO but a large number of executives summoned. President Kim Young-sub was asked to appear twice as a witness, on the 14th and 21st. On the 21st, Hwang Tae-seon, KT chief information security officer (CISO), Heo Tae-won, head of KT Compliance Promotion Office, Chu Ui-jung, head of KT Audit Office (executive director), Lee Yong-bok, head of KT Legal Office (executive director), and Seo Chang-seok, head of KT Network Division, were also asked to appear as witnesses. In addition to the hacking crisis, former KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo, former KT Group head of transformation Yoon Kyung-lim, and Yoon Jeong-sik, outside director of KT Telecop, were also listed as witnesses in connection with the change of KT president. National Pension Service (NPS) Chairman Kim Tae-hyun and NPS Chief Investment Officer Seo Won-joo were also asked to appear regarding the change of KT president. Regarding KT's third-party security outsourcing, Park Se-jun, CEO of Theory Korea, will take the witness stand.
Ryu Young-sang, president of SK Telecom, and Hong Beom-sik, president of LG Uplus, were asked to appear as witnesses on the 21st. In the case of SK Telecom, where a USIM hacking incident occurred on Apr. 4th, only Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Lee Jong-hyun was listed as a reference.
In addition to hacking, a large number of witness appearances have been signaled. The Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee requested the attendance of 92 witnesses and 42 reference persons for this year's audit.
On the 13th of next month, with regard to the use of AI, Kim Gwang-hyun, head of Naver Search and Data Platform division, will, and with regard to responses to disinformation and manipulation, Lee Jeong-gyu, Naver executive managing director for integrated service operations support, and with regard to harmful ads on YouTube, Hwang Sung-hye, vice president of Google Korea, will come to the National Assembly as witnesses.
In addition, regarding cross-site history manipulation (hijack ads), Jean-Louis, head of AliExpress Korea, and Park Dae-joon, head of Coupang, will be summoned, and regarding illegal advertising, Woo Young-gyu, vice president of Kakao, will be summoned. Regarding Google and Apple in-app payments, Mark Lee, president of Apple Korea, and regarding Facebook censorship issues, Heo Uk, deputy head of Facebook Korea, and regarding the Meta Platforms account suspensions and harmful posts, Lee Hee-jin, Meta head of legal, were asked to appear as witnesses.
Regarding deceptive practices against domestic consumers, Reginald Sean Thompson, head of Netflix Services Korea, and Jeong Gyo-ha, head of policy and legal at Netflix Korea, were listed as witnesses at the National Assembly. Regarding harmful ads on YouTube, Wilson White, Google vice president for public policy in Asia-Pacific, and the global director of platform policy at Google Korea were also placed on the witness list.