Foreign ministry adds cybersecurity staff amid rising data breach risks

The foreign ministry said it has added a dedicated cybersecurity official and reshuffled internal staffing roles to respond more swiftly to personal data breaches and cyberattacks on government systems.

Citing the need to counter rising risks of personal information leaks and cyber intrusions into government information systems, the ministry expanded its total workforce from 973 to 974. The new position is designated as a grade 3 or 4 diplomatic information technology officer tasked specifically with personal data protection duties.

The broader category of diplomatic information technology officers, which includes computer inspectors, grew from eight to nine across the ministry's divisions. To improve operational efficiency alongside this addition, the ministry converted two existing grade 9 management and operations staff members into administrative roles. Consequently, the count of administrative clerks rose from 28 to 30, while office operation clerks decreased from 38 to 36.

The changes, enacted under Foreign Ministry Ordinance No. 164, take effect on August 28, 2026.