[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] The government will conduct an ex officio investigation into the hacking incident that occurred in the apartment community facility reservation and management system at GS Engineering & Construction Corp(006360). This decision follows the government’s assessment that GS Engineering & Construction Corp refused to cooperate with the government’s investigation, stating it would analyze the incident on its own; GS Engineering & Construction Corp countered that it did not refuse the investigation itself, but rather declined to provide technical support.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 12th that it had convened the Cyber Incident Investigation Deliberation Committee on the 11th and decided to launch an ex officio investigation into the GS Engineering & Construction Corp. cyber incident.

GS Engineering & Construction Corp reported the security breach that occurred in its apartment community facility reservation and management system on the 29th of last month. However, according to the government, the company declined to cooperate with investigations by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), stating that it would analyze the incident on its own.

In response, the Ministry of Science and ICT convened the Cyber Incident Investigation Deliberation Committee. The committee agreed that, given the severity of the incident—including the scale of the data breach and the sensitivity of the leaked information—a government-level investigation was necessary.

Based on the committee’s deliberations, the Ministry comprehensively reviewed the data breach and the potential for further damage, ultimately deciding to conduct an ex officio investigation.

This decision marks the first instance in which an ex officio investigation has been ordered following deliberations by the Cyber Incident Investigation Deliberation Committee, which was newly established upon the enforcement of the amended Information and Communications Network Act on October 1. The Cyber Incident Investigation Deliberation Committee is a statutory body established to respond proactively to cyber incidents.

The government plans to use the ex officio investigation to determine the cause of the incident and the actual extent of the damage. If the incident is deemed a major cyber incident during the investigation, the government plans to consider forming a joint public-private investigation team following deliberation by the committee.

However, GS Engineering & Construction Corp has clarified its position regarding reports that it did not consent to the government’s investigation. A GS Engineering & Construction Corp official stated, “We did not refuse to cooperate with the investigation by the government and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA); we merely declined to accept technical support for our own root cause analysis and measures to prevent recurrence,” adding, “We will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations, including the one being conducted by KISA.”