Republic of Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung ordered a thorough investigation and response measures over recent personal data leak incidents at banks, finance companies and public agencies, Seoul’s presidential office said yesterday. Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Lee Eog-weon convened an emergency meeting with financial industry associations, regulators and executives from affected institutions yesterday, warning that the sector must respond with the highest level of vigilance, the FSC said in a statement. The FSC’s Lee said authorities could not rule out the possibility that artificial intelligence was used in the attacks and called for an “AI attacks defended by AI” approach, while also signalling broader upgrades to the financial sector’s cybersecurity framework. Yesterday’s meeting came after similar talks on Friday, when the FSC said Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and others had reported cyberattacks, while Yonhap news agency reported that Hana Bank and Woori Bank had also suffered breaches. The banks could not immediately be reached for comment outside regular working hours yesterday.