 ▲ Signboard of the National Tax Service headquarters |
The National Tax Service (NTS) said on the 1st, “We sincerely apologize to the public” in connection with a virtual asset leak incident.
In a media message released that day, the NTS stated, “On the 26th of last month, during a briefing on the results of an on-site search of delinquent taxpayers, an incident occurred in which a delinquent taxpayer’s virtual asset information was leaked.”
The NTS explained, “This incident occurred as we failed to recognize that sensitive information related to virtual assets was included while attempting to provide more vivid information to the public, and carelessly provided the original photo to the media. It is entirely the fault of the NTS without excuse.”
The agency said that immediately after confirming that coins had been leaked from the delinquent taxpayer’s wallet, it began tracing the route of the leak through its internal virtual asset tracking program and requested an investigation from the National Police Agency, adding that it is making every effort to recover the leaked assets.
It added that, taking this incident as an opportunity, it will conduct an external review of its overall security system and strengthen internal controls, including prior reviews, to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information when releasing materials to the public.
The NTS also emphasized that it will comprehensively reorganize its manuals covering the entire process of seizure, storage, and sale of virtual assets, and prepare thorough measures to prevent recurrence, including 강화ening job and security training for relevant staff.
Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, who also serves as Minister of Economy and Finance and oversees the NTS, wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the government will inspect the current status and management of digital assets held and managed by the government and public institutions through seizures from delinquent taxpayers, in cooperation with related agencies including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service.
Koo added that the government will promptly establish and implement measures to prevent recurrence, including strengthening digital asset security management.
He also noted that the government does not hold digital assets other than those obtained through legal enforcement processes such as seizures.
Police began a preliminary inquiry immediately after receiving the NTS’s request for investigation on the 27th of last month, analyzing the flow of the leaked virtual assets and tracking the suspected perpetrator.
Previously, on the 26th of last month, the NTS distributed a press release stating that it had seized four cold wallet USB devices containing a delinquent taxpayer’s virtual assets, but inadvertently exposed the “mnemonic code” that serves as the master key.
Disclaimer: This article is a translated summary of a news report and is provided for informational purposes only.