The Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, Ko Hak-soo, who is investigating the SK Telecom personal information leak incident, and SK Telecom's Ryu Young-sang have reportedly met recently, causing controversy.
According to the Personal Information Protection Commission on the 28th, Chairperson Ko met with Ryu at the Sejong Government Complex office on the 22nd at the request of SK Telecom, with officials from both sides present. The exact details of the conversation between the two have not been disclosed.
As news of the meeting between Chairperson Ko and Ryu became known, the Personal Information Protection Commission explained in a press release that "Chairperson Ko emphasized that they plan to thoroughly investigate and take action against SK Telecom in accordance with relevant laws," adding that reports suggesting "the meeting was a request for help from SK Telecom to Chairperson Ko" are inaccurate.
Some argue that it is inappropriate for Chairperson Ko to meet with the head of the corporation under investigation. Chairperson Ko has referred to the SK Telecom personal information leak incident as a historic-level event and has mentioned several times that the penalty surcharge will be significant.
Previously, the Personal Information Protection Commission launched an investigation immediately after receiving a leak report from SK Telecom on the 22nd of last month, activating a task force (TF) composed of in-house lawyers, researchers, and external experts.