An administrative oversight has exposed the passport numbers, dates of birth, and complete travel manifests of 168 individuals, including President Lee Jae-myung, Kim Hye-kyong, and senior cabinet ministers, after the confidential data sat accessible on a paid malware-scanning website for months.
Passport Data for 168 Officials Exposed Months Before State Visits
The security breach centered on an Excel file titled “Passenger Manifest (Republic of Korea-Belgium),” which was uploaded to an online portal used to check files for malicious code. According to reporting by KBS, the spreadsheet remained accessible on the platform for five months, having been posted online as early as June 2, before President Lee departed for a European tour that included stops in Belgium, Italy, and France.
The exposed document cataloged 168 passengers slated to fly on Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. The top row of the spreadsheet explicitly identified the subjects as “Presidential Couple,” containing the personal credentials of President Lee and Kim Hye-kyong, including their exact dates of birth, passport numbers, and passport issuance and expiration dates.
Beyond the presidential couple, the file exposed the sensitive travel documents of key government officials. The manifest included Kim Yong-bom, National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac, current Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, and Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan.
Security Vulnerabilities and the Presidential Security Service
The leak extended deep into the operational core of the administration, capturing personnel tasked with the physical safety and daily operations of the executive branch. The document listed staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presidential aides, and members of the Presidential Security Service, including the chief’s aide, the security planning chief, the security operations director, the security operations manager, and multiple security officers.
Operational support staff were also compromised. Medical personnel, styling and makeup teams, and the dedicated food taster responsible for pre-screening President Lee’s meals had their personal information laid bare. In addition, credentials belonging to members of the domestic press corps assigned to cover the European tour appeared within the spreadsheet.
Security analysts point out that the exposure of passport numbers and birth dates for high-ranking officials and their protectors creates severe counter-intelligence vulnerabilities. When combined with other public data, such identifiers can facilitate identity spoofing, targeted phishing, or hostile intelligence collection by foreign actors.
Government Response and Ongoing Investigations
The administration acknowledged the lapse following media inquiries. The Blue House stated that officials had “taken response measures after prior awareness of the incident” and added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would execute subsequent follow-up actions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds primary administrative oversight for Air Force One operations and state protocol. In a statement regarding the breach, the ministry noted that it views the situation with utmost gravity, stating that it is “conducting an in-depth, multifaceted investigation into the relevant background and circumstances” and will implement necessary measures depending on the findings.
The discovery coincides with heightened domestic scrutiny over digital security. In late September, President Lee publicly criticized lax data handling among commercial operators via social media, warning that future privacy breaches would encounter severe criminal penalties, heavy administrative fines, and expanded civil liabilities.
