Unauthorized access detected in employee work-support system

Separate from internet, mobile banking platforms used by customers

Regulators working to determine cause, scope of incident

KB Kookmin Bank's Yeouido headquarters annex building [KB Kookmin Bank]
KB Kookmin Bank's Yeouido headquarters annex building [KB Kookmin Bank]

KB Kookmin Bank has become the second major South Korean lender in as many days to suffer a customer data breach through an external intrusion, following a similar incident at Shinhan Bank.

KB Kookmin Bank said Friday it had confirmed that unauthorized external access to its mobile work-support system for employees resulted in the leak of roughly 100 customer records.

"We proceeded with the reporting process after becoming aware of the incident," a KB Kookmin Bank official said. "This was not the work of an internal employee."

The bank has since blocked the affected server and the external access routes involved. The compromised system is an internal work-support platform used by bank staff and is separate from the internet banking and mobile banking systems through which customers conduct financial transactions, the bank said.

The breach came just one day after Shinhan Bank disclosed Thursday that the personal information of about 25,000 customers had been stolen through a novel hacking method exploiting an AI agent. The Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service are working to determine the cause and scope of both incidents and are reviewing additional response measures.


rim@heraldcorp.com