SecurityNov 3, 2026, 8:23 AM UTC·2 min read

South Korea Probes Leak of Passport Data on 168 Air Force One Passengers

Personal data of 168 people who flew on South Korea's presidential plane, including President Lee Jae-myung, was exposed online for five months. The presidential office has opened an emergency probe.

South Korean presidential aircraft on an airport runway, illustrating the leak of passenger passport data. — Image: 미래를 보는 창 - 전자신문

SUMO

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The presidential office in Seoul has launched an emergency response after the personal data of 168 people who flew on the Air Force One presidential plane was leaked. The group includes President Lee Jae-myung and his wife, Kim Hye-kyung.

Chief of Staff Im Kwang-hyun chaired an emergency meeting on Tuesday. He called the leak of the presidential delegation's data a serious matter that cannot be taken lightly. He said investigators must establish how it happened, how far the information was exposed and whether anyone suffered actual harm, and that responsibility for managing the data must be clearly determined among the agencies involved.

What was exposed

The leaked information includes passport numbers, names in Korean and English, affiliations, job titles and dates of birth. The passenger list reportedly covers the president and first lady, senior presidential aides such as former policy chief Kim Yong-beom and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, and cabinet members including Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon and Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-whan. Han Seong-sook, who was then minister of SMEs and startups and is now prime minister, is also listed. Staff from the presidential office and foreign ministry, presidential security service personnel and members of the press corps were reportedly included as well.

The file was posted on a security-related website about a week before the trips to Belgium, the EU summit, the G7 summit and a state visit to Italy, and remained exposed for roughly five months.

Passports replaced, accountability expected

The presidential office says the passports of the president, the first lady and the prime minister have already been replaced. Other affected officials are expected to follow, and large-scale disciplinary action is anticipated.

The leak most likely originated inside the government. Korean Air, which holds the lease contract for the aircraft, is also considered a possible source. The presidential office reportedly believes the leak did not come from within its own ranks.