KTCorporation(030200)Kim Chang-oh, Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) leading KTCorporation’s efforts to improve its security infrastructure, made these remarks during a meeting with E-Daily on the 22nd at the Pangyo KTCorporation Building in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
CPO Kim set forth the goal of instilling in customers the perception that KTCorporation is a “trustworthy security company,” much like Volvo, a leading example of a safety-focused automotive brand. This means transforming personal information protection from a mere regulatory compliance measure into a core competitive advantage that customers can tangibly experience.
CPO Kim is a security expert who previously served as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) at Yanolja, and later planned the “AI Cyber Shield Dome,” a major national project, at an agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT. He joined KTCorporation last April and is overseeing the advancement of the company’s personal information protection and security systems.
Explaining his decision to join KTCorporation, he said, “While working at a government agency, I gained a broad perspective on the importance of national projects and telecommunications networks, and I realized that cooperation with telecommunications companies is essential for executing large-scale security projects.”
He added, “I joined KTCorporation because I wanted to contribute to raising the overall security level of South Korea by leading the actual implementation from this pivotal position.”
CPO Kim plans to focus on shifting KTCorporation’s security approach away from a reactive model toward a proactive, prevention-oriented, and trust-based management system. In particular, he believes that as the proliferation of AI leads to both increased use of personal information and growing cyber threats, a telecommunications company’s security capabilities can translate into national competitiveness.
4 trillion won to be invested in IT and security over three years… Transition to ‘AI SOC’ and Zero Trust
Since taking office, CPO Kim has identified the transition to “AI-based Security Operations Center (AI SOC)” and “integration and centralization” as key priorities. KTCorporation plans to invest a total of 4 trillion won in IT innovation and information security over the next three years.
“We are building an AI SOC that collects security event logs distributed across our nationwide network and uses AI technology to automatically identify and respond to anomalous behavior,” he said. “We are enhancing security infrastructure across all areas, from endpoints to the cloud, base stations, femtocells, and IoT devices.”
Personal information protection measures tailored to the AI environment will also be strengthened. The company is expanding the scope of encryption to include telecom-specific data, such as phone numbers, beyond what is required by law. This effort involves redesigning hundreds of integrated applications; the plan is to establish an initial baseline by the end of this year and complete the full transition by 2027. The allocated budget also includes training and recruitment programs to enhance the capabilities of internal specialists.
Measures have also been completed to address vulnerabilities in network equipment, such as femtocells, which were the subject of recent controversy. He promised regular inspections rather than one-off measures.
CPO Kim stated, “We diagnosed and addressed the issues through a separate consulting process, and internal vulnerability remediation has been completed.” He added, “We will continue to conduct cyclical inspections not only of femtocells but of all IoT equipment as well, and we will see through to the end all responsibilities that fall under KTCorporation’s purview.”
CPO Oversees Technical Organizations as Well… Establishing a ‘Practical Prevention Framework’The most notable change since CPO Kim took office is the organization’s unprecedented integration. While CPOs at most large corporations typically focus on legal and administrative protective measures and post-incident recovery—or merely hold the position as a secondary role—KTCorporation has entrusted CPO Kim with simultaneous leadership of both the “Personal Information Group” and the “Information Security Technology Operations Group.”
CPO Kim stated, “Only by overseeing the technical organizations together can we vigorously pursue preventive measures before data breaches occur and respond immediately when problems arise,” adding, “This is a distinguishing feature that demonstrates how highly KTCorporation prioritizes personal information protection and security.”
Immediately after taking office, he consolidated the previously fragmented security organizations and launched an “Advisory Committee” composed primarily of external experts. He requested that they “evaluate KTCorporation objectively from the perspective of actual customers,” and based on their feedback, he is comprehensively revising internal management guidelines and company regulations.
He also overhauled the management system for retail outlets, which serve as customer touchpoints. Starting this year, the company shifted from a sampling inspection method to “comprehensive inspections.” By providing substantial incentives to outlets with excellent inspection results, KT is fostering a culture where the entire ecosystem voluntarily protects personal information.
“A Tomorrow 10 Times More Trusted Than Today”… Leading Global Security Standards
CPO Kim is a world-renowned security standards expert who currently serves as chair of the Working Party of SG17 (Information Security) under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), a United Nations agency. He plans to actively apply the expertise he has gained from leading global security standards to KTCorporation and elevate KTCorporation’s security capabilities to the level of global standards.
He presented “Ten-X Trust” as his slogan, stating his commitment to creating a tomorrow that is trusted 10 times more than today. This strategy goes beyond mere numbers; it aims to secure global leadership by maximizing the expertise of KT’s internal talent.
“Security should be like the lock on a closed water bottle—it should provide a state of unconscious reassurance even when customers aren’t consciously aware of it,” said CPO Kim. “I will make KTCorporation a global leader in security so that customers can trust us, knowing that ‘KTCorporation is reliable when it comes to security, so we can use their services with confidence.’”
