Ttareungi, Seoul's public bike, stands parked on a street in Seoul on April 22.NEWS1
Around 4 million users affected by a data breach involving Seoul's public bike-sharing service Ttareungi will be given a 30-day pass, the Seoul Facilities Corporation said Tuesday.
The 30-day pass is worth around 5,000 won ($3.40) and allows users to ride the bike for one hour per day. The coupon will be distributed through the Ttareungi app next month and must be redeemed within three months.
Users who already have an existing pass can use the coupon within three months after their current pass expires.
Two teenagers allegedly hacked into the bike service's server in June 2024 and leaked the personal information of approximately 4.62 million users. The leaked information included account IDs, mobile phone numbers, addresses, dates of birth, gender and weight. The two were referred to prosecutors in February.
Seoul Facilities Corporation finalized the types of data exposed for each user after consultations with the National Police Agency and the Personal Information Protection Commission. It began notifying affected users through text messages on Tuesday.
The messages include the specific types of personal information leaked for each user, along with details on how the breach occurred and tips for preventing further damage.
Around 1.2 million messages will be sent each day on a rolling basis. Notifications may not be delivered to users who have changed their phone numbers or opted out of receiving text messages. In such cases, users can contact the customer service center or email the corporation to check which of their information was exposed.
A Ttareungi bike is parked in Seoul on April 22.NEWS1
The facilities corporation also launched an emergency response group with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to address the vulnerabilities that caused the data breach and strengthen monitoring of abnormal access attempts.
No cases have been confirmed in which the leaked personal information was shared with or distributed to third parties, or in which secondary damage occurred as a result, since the incident took place in June 2024, according to the facilities corporation.
“We sincerely apologize once again for causing concern and inconvenience to citizens due to this personal information breach,” Seoul Facilities Corporation President Han Kook-young said. “We will make every effort to completely overhaul our security system so that citizens can use Ttareungi without concerns over their personal information.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
