HYBE Apologizes After Two Breaches Hit Partners and Ex-Employees

HYBE, one of South Korea's leading entertainment companies, has been hit by a major personal data breach. The leaked information goes beyond names and phone numbers. It also includes resident registration numbers, financial information and medical information.

HYBE posted an apology on its official website on Oct. 18. The company said it detected signs of unauthorized access during an internal security check. The access came through a document preview program developed by an outside vendor and connected to HYBE's electronic approval system.

A follow-up investigation found that some documents had been taken out of the company. They were stored on the server for the internal electronic approval system, where the program was installed, and in the company's expense processing system. Personal information inside those documents was leaked along with them. Those affected include staff at HYBE's partner companies and some former HYBE employees.

The company said the leak happened in two separate periods. The first ran from 1:16 p.m. on Sept. 12 to 11:14 a.m. on Sept. 13. The second ran from 10:41 p.m. on Oct. 3 to 3:05 p.m. on Oct. 5.

The range of exposed data is wide. It includes names, birth dates, cell phone numbers, landline numbers, email addresses and home addresses. It also includes resident registration numbers (South Korea's national ID numbers), alien registration numbers and passport numbers.

Bank account numbers, card numbers and medical information were also among the exposed data. For some people, IP addresses, employee ID numbers and department details were exposed as well. HYBE noted that the type of information leaked varies from person to person.

After learning of the breach, HYBE blocked the IP addresses and access routes used in the intrusion. It also immediately shut down the document preview service. The company reported the incident to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and the Personal Information Protection Commission. It is now notifying each person whose information was confirmed to have been leaked.

That process may not reach everyone. HYBE said it is having trouble finding current contact information for some partner company staff and former employees, so some may not get an individual notice. The company added that it has not received any reports so far of the leaked data being used for criminal purposes or otherwise misused.

HYBE also asked people to watch for follow-up scams. It warned against messages from anyone posing as the company or its employees and asking for account passwords, money or sensitive information. It also urged people not to open attachments or links in emails from unknown senders.

For an industry built on fan trust and close partner networks, the breach is a reminder that the risk does not stop at the stage. The systems that handle everyday paperwork can hold some of the most sensitive data a company keeps.