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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, November 9, 2025 — South Korea’s leading telecom operator KT Corp. is facing mounting public criticism after it was revealed that the company discovered malware infections on its internal servers last year but failed to report them to authorities, opting instead to quietly remove the malware using in-house antivirus tools.
According to an interim investigation report released on November 6 by a joint public–private task force led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), KT’s servers were infected between March and July 2024 with a malicious code known as “BPF Door.” The malware had previously been identified as the attack vector used in SK Telecom’s data breach, which exposed the personal information of approximately 23 million customers.
The task force found that multiple KT servers were compromised, including those linked to femtocell systems used in the recent unauthorized micro-payment hacking incident. These servers contained sensitive customer data such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, and device identifiers (IMEI), raising the likelihood of personal data leaks.
Investigators said the extent of the infection and any actual data leakage have yet to be confirmed and will require further forensic analysis. However, the findings have fueled a storm of criticism that KT “misled the public” and “covered up a nationwide cybersecurity incident.”
Adding to the controversy, this is not the first time KT has been accused of concealing a security breach. In July 2025, when KISA notified the company of a potential remote consultation system hack, KT reportedly denied the allegation while internally destroying the affected server, prompting the Science Ministry to refer the matter for a formal investigation.
Public backlash is intensifying, with civic groups and lawmakers calling for penalty-free contract terminations and stronger accountability measures. “It’s not just a data issue — it’s a breach of public trust,” one industry source said.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
