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Korea Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Travel bans imposed on former PM, finance minister
Travel bans for ex-PSS top officials also extended Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok have been banned from leaving the country for their alleged connection to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt in December 2024, according to the police on Tuesday. The announcement by the Korean National Police Agency comes a day after the KNPA's National Office of Investigation conducted interrogations that lasted approximately 10 hours with Han, Choi and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min regarding their involvement in the martial law debacle. During interrogations, the former ministers were reportedly questioned about whether they made false statements about the process of receiving martial law-related documents on the night martial law was declared, based on police analysis of surveillance footage of the presidential office's Cabinet meeting room and hallway. According to the Korean National Police Agency, a travel ban had already been imposed on Han and Choi around the middle of May. Lee's exit ban, which was already in place since December last year, was also extended. The police also announced on Tuesday that it has extended the travel bans placed on Yoon's former chiefs of the Presidential Security Service, including former PSS chief Park Chong-jun, former PSS deputy chief Kim Seong-hoon and former head of the PSS' bodyguard division Lee Kwang-woo. The decision comes after the police obtained secure phone server records on May 23, including calls and texts exchanged between Yoon and government ministers, military officials and PSS personnel. The police announced three days later that it had detected signs that some call records of a secure phone held by Yoon had been remotely deleted. Though police officials were quoted in local media reports saying that the PSS is believed to be responsible for deleting the records, they are still in the process of narrowing down a suspect. The police plans to move ahead with investigations by looking into when the three individuals first became aware of Yoon's plan to declare martial law, and whether they knew about the plan in advance before martial law was officially declared.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Straits Times
Korean police bar use of ChatGPT for sensitive data amid leak concerns
As the use of generative AI continues to expand within the force, concerns have been raised about risks associated with inputting sensitive information. PHOTO: REUTERS The Korean National Police Agency has issued a nationwide notice to police stations, warning officials not to input investigative or work-related information into generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, citing concerns over potential data leaks. A KNPA official confirmed to The Korea Herald on May 16, on condition of anonymity, that the agency had sent out a notice titled 'Precautions when using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT' to all police stations. The written directive 'emphasises that investigative or work-related data as well as personal information of those involved in the case should not be entered when working with generative AI,' the official explained. The agency also advised police officers to 'refrain from responding to questions asked by generative AI that are related to security' and to 'ensure thorough review measures have been taken when implementing AI for investigative projects related to information technology', they added. When asked if investigators often use generative AI, another investigative police official, surnamed Kim, told The Korea Herald that 'using generative AI like ChatGPT has become common among many young police officials in recent years.' 'I know that ChatGPT, for example, has helped many police officials, including myself, when reviewing relevant laws or investigative cases from the past that we may not be aware of,' Kim continued. In March 2023, the KNPA also stated that it would work with ChatGPT to draft essential documents in English when dealing with cross-border crimes to enhance efficiency. At the time, the KNPA stated that there were no concerns of personal data or confidential investigative information from being inputted, as ChatGPT would only be used to generate documents in English. As the use of generative AI continues to expand within the force, concerns have been raised about risks associated with inputting sensitive information, including personal data or confidential matters related to police investigations. A senior police official told JoongAng Ilbo, 'If investigation records from an internal police network are transferred to external AI-generated websites, the risk of personal information leakage or the exposure of confidential investigation details increases.' 'Using ChatGPT to refine parts of investigative reports is like letting important investigative information accumulate beyond the police's control.' In a response to such concerns, the KNPA confirmed that it has been working with LG CNS since the beginning of 2025 to develop a generative AI model catered to aiding police officials in investigations, using LG's AI model, Exaone. Once the investigative, AI-based support service is fully developed, the service will be implemented into the internal system of the police force, according to the KNPA. It will be able to summarize written statements or show similar cases based on the type of crime while analyzing underlying issues of an investigation to help officers pinpoint and focus on important aspects during their investigations. The AI service will also assist in drafting investigative documents. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Korean police bar use of ChatGPT for sensitive data amid leak concerns
KNPA, LG CNS working to develop generative AI specifically catered to police investigations The Korean National Police Agency has issued a nationwide notice to police stations, warning officials not to input investigative or work-related information into generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, citing concerns over potential data leaks. A KNPA official confirmed to The Korea Herald on Friday, on condition of anonymity, that the agency had sent out a notice titled 'Precautions when using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT' to all police stations. The written directive "emphasizes that investigative or work-related data as well as personal information of those involved in the case should not be entered when working with generative AI," the official explained. The agency also advised police officers to 'refrain from responding to questions asked by generative AI that are related to security' and to 'ensure thorough review measures have been taken when implementing AI for investigative projects related to information technology," they added. When asked if investigators often use generative AI, another investigative police official, surnamed Kim, told The Korea Herald that 'using generative AI like ChatGPT has become common among many young police officials in recent years.' 'I know that ChatGPT, for example, has helped many police officials, including myself, when reviewing relevant laws or investigative cases from the past that we may not be aware of,' Kim continued. In March 2023, the KNPA also stated that it would work with ChatGPT to draft essential documents in English when dealing with cross-border crimes to enhance efficiency. At the time, the KNPA stated that there were no concerns of personal data or confidential investigative information from being inputted, as ChatGPT would only be used to generate documents in English. As the use of generative AI continues to expand within the force, concerns have been raised about risks associated with inputting sensitive information, including personal data or confidential matters related to police investigations. A senior police official told JoongAng Ilbo, 'If investigation records from an internal police network are transferred to external AI-generated websites, the risk of personal information leakage or the exposure of confidential investigation details increases.' 'Using ChatGPT to refine parts of investigative reports is like letting important investigative information accumulate beyond the police's control.' In a response to such concerns, the KNPA confirmed that it has been working with LG CNS since the beginning of 2025 to develop a generative AI model catered to aiding police officials in investigations, using LG's AI model, Exaone. Once the investigative, AI-based support service is fully developed, the service will be implemented into the internal system of the police force, according to the KNPA. It will be able to summarize written statements or show similar cases based on the type of crime while analyzing underlying issues of an investigation to help officers pinpoint and focus on important aspects during their investigations. The AI service will also assist in drafting investigative documents.
Korea Herald
22-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Police express regret for 'misunderstanding' over Tzuyang stalking case
YouTuber says police did not consider her a victim The Korean National Police Agency on Monday addressed the recent reassignment of investigators handling allegations made by YouTuber Tzuyang that she is being stalked by an independent journalist, saying there had been a misunderstanding on the part of the alleged victim. Tzuyang, whose real name is Park Jeong-won, recently accused police of unfairly conducting the stalking investigation of Kim Se-eui, the operator of the far-right YouTube channel Hoverlab who has made multiple unconfirmed claims about Park's personal life. Park has sought criminal charges against Kim for defamation and stalking. Police in February decided not to forward the case to prosecutors, citing a lack of evidence, but the prosecution ordered a supplementary investigation on the matter after Park challenged the decision. Park appeared at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station for questioning on April 16, but refused the probe and left just 40 minutes later, with her attorney Kim Tae-yeon saying police did not conduct a fair and neutral investigation based on objective facts. Park alleged police "did not appear to regard her as a victim, with no intent to protect her." "It is not our place to discuss the attitude of Tzuyang, but we do express regrets over the controversy involving the two sides, and there has been a misunderstanding. ... (Park) was concerned over fairness of the investigation, and we reassigned (new investigators) to address this and for a comprehensive assessment on the case," KNPA officials said in a press briefing. Park accepted the reassignment. Park, one of the most popular online personalities here with nearly 12 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, has been involved in a legal battle over what she has described as Kim's distribution of misinformation about her and her acquaintances. The legal proceedings are related to the 2024 revelation via Kim's channel about blackmail against Park, in which YouTubers conspired with Park's ex-boyfriend to extort cash from her in exchange for not revealing her past employment as a host at a bar. Park said that her work at the bar was due to violence and coercion by her then-boyfriend. A February ruling by the Suwon District Court found them guilty of blackmail, with the ex-boyfriend and YouTuber Goo Je Yeok — whose real name is Lee Jun-hee — receiving a prison term, while the other three were slapped with suspended terms and a fine. All of them have since appealed the ruling. But Kim's channel claimed that Park's explanation of the case was false, making new allegations of supposed tax evasion.
Korea Herald
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
NK hackers sent over 120,000 malware-laced emails during martial law turmoil: police
North Korean hackers were found to be responsible for sending 126,266 emails to steal the personal information of online users in South Korea from November to January, according to the Korean National Police Agency, Tuesday. The KNPA's National Office of Investigation announced that a North Korean hacker group sent emails, titled 'Defense Counterintelligence Command's Martial Law Document,' on Dec. 11, eight days after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. While investigating the case, the police confirmed that the group's email hacking targeted 17,744 South Koreans, who were working in the fields of unification, diplomacy, national defense and security, for three months. Though the police did not release details about the hacker group's identity, including its name or link with North Korean agencies, Seoul officials said they confirmed the hackers' server was identical to one used in past North Korea-linked cases. Police added that they found a hacker group's attempt to collect information about North Korean defectors and South Korean military after investigating the servers. The content of the emails varied widely, ranging from the martial law-themed documents to North Korea's political outlook, invitations to concerts by popular artists and tax refund notifications. The emails impersonated the recipient's acquaintances by inserting additional spelling to the original IDs and changing parts of web addresses with visually similar letters, such as writing "rn' instead of "m." The hacking emails commonly consisted of a link, which, when clicked, would direct the users to a phishing site and request personal accounts to log in, according to the police. The officials announced that 120 people were hacked this way. While pledging utmost efforts for strict, speedy measures for any type of cyberattack and a cooperative system to respond to hacking attempts, the police asked online users to prevent damage by snubbing emails with an unidentified sender.
