Seoul National University suffered 28 hacking incidents and data leaks

Seoul National University suffered 28 hacking incidents between 2021 and October 2026, leading to the leakage of 1,132 personal information records, according to parliamentary data released on October 11, 2026. ChosunBiz reported that the data was submitted to Baek Seung-a, a member of the National Assembly Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea. The breaches involved compromised department systems, research laboratories, and institutional networks, exposing names, email addresses, portal IDs, and researchers’ résumés.

Cyberattacks and Leaks Over Six Years

Financial News reported that the 28 cyberattacks resulted in confirmed personal information leaks during only two of the incidents. The university recorded eight hacking cases in 2021, 10 in 2022, one in 2024, five in 2025, and four through September 2026. Department systems were targeted the most frequently, accounting for 19 incidents, while laboratory systems experienced six breaches and research institutes saw two. Institutional-level systems recorded a single breach over the six-year span.

The largest single leak occurred in September 2021, when malicious software capable of executing remote commands was installed on Seoul National University servers. That incident compromised 1,130 records containing names, email addresses, portal IDs, and institutional affiliations. A second data leak occurred in May 2024, when a network-attached storage device at an on-campus research institute was breached, leaking biographical profiles and résumé files belonging to two researchers. No personal information leaks were confirmed in the remaining 26 cyberattacks.

Rising Hacking Attempts Against University Networks

Financial News noted that unauthorized digital intrusions targeting Seoul National University increased steadily year by year. Security monitoring systems detected 561 hacking attempts in 2024 and 575 attempts throughout 2025. By the end of September 2026, the count reached 588 attempts, already exceeding the total volume recorded across the entirety of the previous year.

Seoul National University stated that its security infrastructure identifies and blocks these digital intrusions in real time. The university maintained that it prevented the broader spread of malicious activity through immediate countermeasures and real-time responses. University officials also indicated that they are improving overall defense capabilities through joint simulation exercises and enhanced information-sharing protocols with the Ministry of Education and the National Intelligence Service.

Legislative Response and Investigation Status

Financial News reported that Seoul National University has never requested an official investigation by law enforcement agencies regarding any of the personal information breaches. The university stated that it immediately reports confirmed data leaks to the Ministry of Education or the Personal Information Protection Commission but handles subsequent technical containment internally.

Hacking at Seoul National University could lead not only to the leakage of personal information but also to the loss of national research data and findings.

Baek Seung-a

Baek emphasized that the root causes of these security failures must undergo thorough examination to reinforce institutional information protections across higher education networks.