PM nominee apologizes for information leak from 'Startup for All' website

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook issued an apology on Monday for a recent information leak from the government's 'Startup for All' website, an audition-style incubation program. An artificial intelligence firm, serving as a project partner, reportedly exploited a security loophole to collect the personal information of 5,000 individuals who passed the first round of selection. The data included emails, summarized startup ideas, and judge reviews.

The leak came to light when the AI company sent promotional emails to the successful candidates. Han, in her capacity as minister for medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, expressed deep regret for the inconvenience and the failure to protect the trust of the applicants.

The Ministry for SMEs and Startups also faced scrutiny for reporting the incident to the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) approximately 70 hours after becoming aware of the breach. The ministry stated that emergency security measures were implemented to close the loophole, assess the damage, and notify participants before officially reporting to KISA.

The 'Startup for All' program, launched earlier this year, aims to support aspiring entrepreneurs. Out of 63,000 applicants, 5,000 were selected to proceed, with 1,000 advancing to further stages and approximately 100 finalists competing for up to 1 billion won (US$654,500) in support.