South Korea and Belgium have discussed a major personal data leak involving President Lee Jae Myung and members of his official entourage during a visit to Europe earlier this year. The issue was raised during diplomatic discussions between the two countries, with both sides agreeing to maintain close communication as South Korean authorities continue their investigation.
South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo met Theodora Gentzis, secretary-general of Belgium’s Foreign Ministry, in Seoul. According to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed cooperation in several areas, including the incident involving personal information connected to President Lee’s overseas trip. South Korean officials said they were treating the matter seriously and were investigating how the information became accessible.
The leak involved a file containing personal details of 168 people who travelled aboard the presidential aircraft. The information reportedly included names, affiliations, positions, dates of birth and passport details. The file was uploaded to VirusTotal, a website commonly used to scan files for malware, on June 2, around a week before Lee’s visit to Belgium, France and Italy. It remained accessible for approximately five months.
Officials believe the incident may have resulted from the handling of documents linked to the trip rather than a cyberattack. Investigators are examining several possibilities, including whether the information was exposed during document exchanges between South Korea’s embassy in Belgium and Belgian authorities.
The case has raised concerns about the protection of sensitive information during official international visits. South Korea and Belgium have agreed to continue communicating while the investigation proceeds. The discussions are intended to help clarify how the data was exposed and whether procedures need to be improved to prevent similar incidents in the future.
