Ministry of Gender Equality and Family adds staff to counter cyber risks

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Friday it will add one sixth-grade official to handle personal information protection duties under a presidential decree effective August 28. The move raises the ministry's total headcount from 298 to 299, with general staff increasing from 294 to 295, as South Korea seeks to respond to growing risks of data leaks and cyber intrusions driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Officials cited the transition to a platform economy and the deepening integration of AI as factors necessitating dedicated security manpower to mitigate vulnerabilities in high-risk personal data processing. The revision aims to enable rapid response to personal information breaches and cyberattacks on government information systems.

The adjustment is part of a sweeping revision of 36 government decrees designed to bolster cybersecurity personnel across key agencies. Under Presidential Decree No. 36631, the Ministry of Justice will gain three new staff members for privacy and security roles, while the National Tax Service will add five net positions through a combination of new hires and transfers from affiliated organizations. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will see a net increase of three officials, and the Personal Information Protection Commission will expand its team by five to handle both privacy and information security duties.

The order also adjusts staffing grades within the Gender Equality Ministry, raising the count of officials at the third or fourth grade level and below from 283 to 284. The broader legal package modifies organizational charts for entities ranging from the Financial Services Commission to the Korea Coast Guard, with most departments receiving at least one new sixth-grade officer focused on data protection.