South Korea’s National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held a plenary session on the 22nd and approved a motion requiring witnesses and reference persons to appear for the 2026 parliamentary audit. A total of 42 individuals—29 witnesses and 13 reference persons—were included on the list, with the Tving hacking incident, personal data breaches at telecom and platform companies, and service operation issues at Big Tech’s South Korean subsidiaries emerging as key focal points.
The most closely watched witnesses are executives tied to the Tving hacking incident. The committee decided to summon Tving CEO Choi Joo-hee to press her on the hacking breach and customer compensation issues. Yoon Sang-hyun, CEO of parent company CJ ENM, will also take the stand for questioning on information security governance and investment, management, and oversight systems related to the large-scale personal data breach.
The cyber incident response frameworks of the three major telecom carriers are also under intense scrutiny. Lee Jong-hyun, Chief Information Security Officer at SK Telecom; Lee Sang-woon, CISO at KT; and Hong Gwan-hee, CISO at LG Uplus, were all named as witnesses. The committee plans to question SK Telecom on USIM data protection, improvements to its information security management system, and damage compensation measures following the 2025 cyber incident. For KT and LG Uplus, lawmakers intend to examine their incident response capabilities, post-reorganization information security frameworks, and the state of security investment and staffing.
On personal data breach incidents, a long line of ICT executives has been called to testify. Brett Anthony Mathis, CISO at Coupang, must explain follow-up remediation measures after a personal data leak. Lim Han-wook, CEO of Toss Payments, and CISO Shin Yong-seok; Kim Jung-hoon, CISO at Woowa Brothers (Baedal Minjok); Park Soo-kyung, CEO of Duo; and Hong Seung-il, CEO of Healing Paper (Gangnam Unni), were all added to the witness list in connection with their respective data breach incidents.
Executives from Big Tech’s South Korean subsidiaries are also being summoned en masse. Google Korea President Yoon Koo was approved as a witness over app market controversies and YouTube subscription price discrepancies, while Apple Korea representative Mark Lee will face questions on location data integration beyond GPS in emergency rescue operations and alleged tax evasion. Meta Korea CEO Kim Jin-ah must answer questions on personal data infringement and leakage, as well as impersonation accounts on social media.
The spread of illegal information via social media is also on the audit agenda. Shin Chang-seop, CEO of X Korea (Twitter Korea), will be questioned on the proliferation of narcotics sales and distribution posts on social media, reporting, blocking, and deletion measures, and the effectiveness of self-regulation regarding repeatedly created related accounts. Oh Yeon-joo, Telegram’s South Korea representative, was named as a witness on responses to illegal information distribution channels. Regarding the safety of generative AI services, Scatter Lab CEO Kim Jong-yoon will answer questions on AI chatbot risks.
At the parliamentary audit of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee scheduled for October 12, home shopping and broadcasting/platform issues are expected to take center stage. GS Retail CEO Heo Seo-hong and Lotte Home Shopping CEO Kim Jae-gyeom have been called as witnesses. Key areas of examination include the effectiveness of the TV home shopping license renewal system, as well as sales commissions, supplier payments, programming, contract terms, and the state of fair-trade practices and win-win cooperation with small and medium-sized suppliers.
In the broadcasting sector, a wide range of issues will be addressed, including the suspension of Tongil TV transmission, the YTN sale, and the composition of the KBS board. Regarding compensation for the Tongil TV transmission suspension, KT Media Commerce Executive Vice President Park Hyun-jin and KT Media Business Division Head Kim Byung-jin were included on the witness list. On the Board of Audit and Inspection’s findings regarding the allegedly unlawful YTN sale, Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee section chief Shin Seung-hwan, Korea Information Security Industry Association Executive Vice Chairman Bae Jong-seop, and Samil PwC representative Cho Sung-woon were summoned.
Witness selections continued across individual agency audits as well. At the Korea Aerospace Research Institute audit on October 13, Changwon National University professor Jang Soo-young was named as a witness over allegations that he personally removed classified research materials during his departure from the agency. At the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) audit on October 15, KISA President Lee Sang-joong was called over allegations of improper corporate card use during his tenure.
The 13 reference persons include Koo Gyo-hyun, branch head of the Public Transport Workers’ Union Riders Union; Yeom Gyu-ho, chairman of the Korea Mobile Telecommunications Distribution Association; Park Yoon-jo, representative of the JTBC bond victims’ group; Jeon Jun-hyung, head of the National Union of Media Workers’ YTN branch; and Lee Seung-chul, head of the Media Workers’ Union KBS headquarters.
Audit schedule and key issues
The committee will begin with the audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT on October 6, followed by the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee on October 12, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute on October 13, and KISA on October 15. This year’s parliamentary audit is expected to focus on the spate of personal data breaches and cyber incidents, platform accountability, home shopping trade practices, and broadcasting issues.
Information security frameworks at telecom and platform companies are a central theme of this year’s audit. The committee will question SK Telecom on USIM data protection, improvements to its information security management system, and damage compensation following the 2025 cyber incident, while KT and LG Uplus will be examined on incident response, post-reorganization security frameworks, and the state of security investment and staffing.
Questions for Big Tech companies have also been fleshed out. Lawmakers plan to press Google on YouTube subscription pricing and Apple on emergency rescue data excluding GPS and tax-related matters. Nate CEO Lee Jong-sung will also testify as a witness on the platform’s handling of false and manipulated information reports, self-regulatory policies, and compliance with transparency obligations.
This year’s audit is being interpreted as a signal that parliamentary oversight of personal data protection and platform accountability has intensified significantly. The sweeping witness list—spanning the Tving hacking incident, telecom carrier breaches, and Big Tech service operations—demonstrates that information security has evolved from a purely internal corporate matter into a subject of public regulation.
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