[Exclusive] "Even reservation numbers leaked": Personal data of Korean Air subcontractor exposed; additional information under review (Comprehensive)

Personal information, including reservation numbers, belonging to Korean Air customers has been leaked. The information is believed to have escaped from the system of a contracted IT (information technology) company, and Korean Air urged customers not to click on links of unknown origin or similar to prevent secondary damage.

According to industry sources on the 23rd, Korean Air recently notified affected customers about this fact.

Korean Air stated, "It has been determined that there are indications of a personal data leak from the system of 'Amadeus IT Group' (hereinafter Amadeus), a global aviation IT system operator acting as the company's subcontractor." Amadeus is a global IT company that provides software used in travel-related industries such as airlines, hotels, and travel agencies.

Korean Air said, "An investigation into the incident is underway, but based on what has been determined so far, this incident occurred due to unauthorized access using login authentication information assigned to an account in Amadeus's system." The company added, "The incident is estimated to have occurred between August 2023 and September 2026, but the exact timing is under investigation."

Korean Air announced that it received official notification from Amadeus at 10:44 p.m. on October 20 and became aware of the incident, immediately carrying out necessary safety measures. The company also explained that there are no indications of intrusion into its own system (DB).

Korean Air stated, "It has been confirmed that the leaked personal information items include customers' reservation numbers." The company added, "Regarding other leaked items, we are currently verifying through Amadeus and will promptly notify customers once confirmed."

The company continued, "We have been informed that Amadeus is implementing measures such as blocking unauthorized access and activating dark web monitoring. Beyond this, we are demanding strengthened protective measures and prevention strategies to prevent recurrence." Additionally, while stating, "No cases of secondary damage resulting from this incident have been confirmed so far," Korean Air urged customers to be careful not to click on links of unknown origin, download attachments, or respond to requests for personal information input, in order to prevent secondary damage.

Korean Air said, "Although this incident occurred within Amadeus's area of management, the company recognizes this situation very seriously." The company added, "We will spare no effort to prevent additional damage and recurrence resulting from this incident." It further stated, "We sincerely apologize once again for causing concern to our customers."