SEOUL — South Korea’s science ministry has initiated a formal, government-led investigation into a recent cyber security breach involving major builder GS E&C’s apartment community management network.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) confirmed on Wednesday that it is exercising its direct probe authority for the first time since the establishment of the Cyber Incident Investigation Review Committee last month. The statutory body was formed under revised provisions of the Information Communications Network Act to oversee critical digital security failures.

The incident centers on a security compromise reported by GS E&C on October 29, which affected digital systems used for scheduling and managing apartment community amenities. While the company initially notified authorities of the breach, it initially declined external technical assistance from the MSIT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), stating a preference to conduct its internal analysis first.

However, the review committee convened on Wednesday and determined that the potential scale of leaked data and the sensitive nature of the compromised information warranted an immediate, government-mandated investigation. Ministry officials noted that the probe will assess both the immediate data exposure and the risk of secondary vulnerabilities. Depending on the findings, the ministry stated it may expand the investigation into a full-scale public-private joint task force.

In response to the announcement, representatives for GS E&C clarified the company's position, asserting that there was no intent to obstruct regulatory oversight. A company spokesperson explained that management declined external technical assistance specifically regarding internal root-cause analysis and preventive measures, rather than blocking regulatory inquiries as a whole. GS E&C emphasized that it is fully cooperating with all ongoing regulatory reviews, including the active assessment by KISA.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]