A series of recent incidents clearly demonstrate that public institutions are still trapped in ‘their own league.’ While transparency is outwardly emphasized, old practices and a sense of privilege run rampant behind the scenes. It’s necessary to take a critical look at whether true innovation is possible in such a situation.

2026: ‘Their Own League’ Recruitment Corruption Persists

In 2026, public sector recruitment corruption continues to recur like a chronic illness. Shockingly, Korea Expressway Corporation Service was found to have issued ‘tailored job postings’ for retirees and even hired unqualified individuals for experienced positions. An audit by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport revealed evidence that recruitment information was provided to Expressway Corporation retirees in advance, and interviewers were informed of their Expressway Corporation background, effectively guiding their selection. It’s no surprise that this has led to criticism of a ‘Dopia (Expressway Corporation + Mafia) cartel.’

• Tailored Job Postings: Manipulating recruitment conditions with specific retirees in mind is a clear violation of fair recruitment guidelines.
• Hiring Unqualified Individuals: The career verification process was run perfunctorily, leading to absurd situations where even those who did not meet the qualifications were hired.
• Pre-disclosure of Information: Providing recruitment information to specific applicants in advance, granting them special favors, undermines the essence of competition.

These cases cannot simply be dismissed as the deviation of a few individuals. They are evidence of widespread unfairness and a sense of privilege that remains firmly entrenched throughout the public sector’s recruitment system. Job seekers are inevitably plunged into deep frustration, wondering, ‘Is my effort meaningless?’ In such a situation, it is far-fetched for public institutions to gain public trust.

Shaky Personal Information Protection Undermines Public Trust

As serious as recruitment corruption is the lax state of personal information protection in public institutions. The results of the ‘2025 Public Institution Personal Information Protection Level Assessment’ released in April 2026 are truly disappointing. The bizarre phenomenon occurred where even institutions that had experienced personal information leaks received a ‘Normal (B)’ rating. With a structure that guarantees a ‘Normal’ rating if there are no leaks for a year, one must question whether this is a proper assessment.

• Perfunctory Assessment: Institutions with a history of personal information leaks still received a B rating, raising criticism about the effectiveness of the assessment.
• Low Ratings for Sensitive Institutions: Even major institutions handling sensitive information, such as the Ministry of National Defense and the Board of Audit and Inspection, remained at a B rating, signaling a red light for national security management.
• Evidence of ‘Revenge-for-Hire Terror’ Personal Information Leaks: Recently, evidence was found that a group that illegally leaked others’ personal information for money to carry out ‘revenge-for-hire terror’ had stolen information from public institutions.

Personal information is the asset of the public. If public institutions, whose duty it is to protect this information, maintain a complacent attitude, they must abandon the illusion that they can get away with it like ‘Lucky Vicky.’ It’s no different from carrying a ticking time bomb. Security is a matter of responsibility before technology. Public institutions must keep this in mind.

Public Institutions Preaching Innovation, Where is the Real Innovation?

The government and public institutions are hosting the ‘AI Innovation Challenge’ in 2026, emphasizing the spread of AI utilization and future administration through digital transformation. The ambition for the public sector to lead AI innovation is significant. There are also predictions that data and semantic interoperability will be essential for AI to create real value. However, the stark reality hidden behind these grand slogans is bitter.

• Discrepancy between Technological Innovation and Ethical Foundation: Focusing solely on introducing cutting-edge AI technology without resolving fundamental ethical and fairness issues like recruitment corruption or personal information leaks is merely a showy facade.
• Absence of Public-Centric Innovation: While AI may bring convenience to people’s lives, for those who have experienced unfairness in the recruitment process without ‘Aljalttakkalsen’ (a Korean term for doing things smartly and efficiently), it sounds like nothing more than empty propaganda.
• Need for Fundamental Change: True innovation begins with changes in organizational culture and the consciousness of its members, before systems and technology. Innovation not underpinned by transparent and fair operation is like a house built on sand.

Public institutions are operated with taxpayers’ money and have the fundamental duty to serve the public. While the introduction of new technologies is important, it is even more crucial to firmly establish fundamental values such as fairness and trust. ‘Future administration’ begins not with flashy technology, but with transparent and responsible operation that meets the public’s expectations. In 2026, what public institutions need is not performative innovation, but genuine change.

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This incident cannot be dismissed as a mere technical error or mishap. It has the potential to go beyond privacy infringement and be exploited for criminal purposes. It is time to coolly examine what caused this situation and how we should protect our valuable information.

Coupang Personal Information Leak: Not Just a Mishap

According to an MBC News report on April 23, a staggering 33.67 million pieces of personal information were leaked from Coupang. This included names, phone numbers, our daily addresses, and even common entrance passwords. This is virtually equivalent to exposing an individual’s daily movements and living environment. The leak of common entrance passwords, in particular, significantly increases the possibility of secondary crimes.

• Types of personal information leaked: Name, phone number, address, common entrance password
• Scale of leak: Approximately 33.67 million records
• Severity of the problem: Beyond simple information leakage, potential for misuse in secondary crimes such as home invasion

What is even more concerning is that some U.S. Republican lawmakers are reportedly exerting diplomatic pressure on the Korean government, demanding a halt to regulations on Coupang. From a consumer’s perspective, it is difficult to accept intervention under the pretext of protecting a domestic company regarding a clear case of personal information leakage. Ultimately, the damage falls squarely on the Korean citizens whose information was leaked.

The Value of an ‘Address’ is Far Greater Than You Think

Many people consider an address to be merely simple location information for receiving packages. However, in modern society, an address is sensitive information that can infer an individual’s lifestyle patterns, economic status, and even family members. Leaked address information poses a significant risk of being exploited for financial fraud like voice phishing and smishing, as well as physical crimes such as stalking and burglary.

In the past, the mixed use of old and new address systems caused confusion, but now it is core data for pinpointing exact locations. With the advent of smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT) era, the importance of addresses is growing even further. As various smart devices connect based on addresses and provide personalized services, the security of address information is directly linked to the safety of an individual’s life.

• Uses of address information: Package delivery, utility billing, identity verification, and other basic administrative processes
• Risks of leakage: Voice phishing, smishing, stalking, burglary, and various other online/offline crimes
• Future value: Core foundational data for future technological advancements such as smart cities and IoT

In particular, the leakage of common entrance passwords is tantamount to ‘opening the door’ for potential criminals. The fact that such sensitive information has been leaked on a large scale demonstrates the severity of corporate security complacency.

Personal Information Protection: No Longer an ‘Option’ but a ‘Necessity’

This Coupang incident once again reminds us of the immense responsibility companies have for protecting personal information. Beyond simply adopting hacking prevention solutions, a thorough security system must be established throughout the entire process, from information collection to disposal. Furthermore, in the event of a leak, transparent and prompt disclosure of information and efforts to compensate victims are essential. The government must also strengthen corporate responsibility and establish recurrence prevention measures through online platform regulation bills.

Individuals, too, must not neglect their efforts to protect their own information. It is advisable to change passwords regularly and avoid using the same password across multiple sites. Unnecessary provision of personal information should be minimized, and suspicious messages or emails should be deleted immediately. The awareness that we must protect our own information is more important than ever.

• Corporate responsibility: Strengthen security throughout the entire process from information collection to disposal, transparent information disclosure and victim compensation in case of an incident
• Government’s role: Strengthen online platform regulations, establish recurrence prevention measures
• Individual efforts: Regular password changes, minimize unnecessary information provision, be wary of suspicious messages

In conclusion, this large-scale personal information leak from Coupang, including addresses, is sounding an alarm in our society. Companies must fundamentally change their perception of information security, and the government must protect citizens’ information through strong regulations and oversight. We ourselves need the wisdom to deal wisely in the digital world.

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