Community Chest of Korea apologizes after personal data of 647 donors, including celebrities, leaked online

The Community Chest of Korea has issued a public apology following a personal data breach involving hundreds of donors.

On March 6, the organization posted a notice on its website saying, “We sincerely apologize for the concern caused to our donors due to the personal information leak.”

According to the organization, the incident occurred on April 25 last year, when it uploaded the files required to disclose settlement documents for public interest corporations to its website. During the process, a donor list containing unredacted personal information was mistakenly posted.

The leaked data included the names, resident registration numbers, and donation amounts of 647 individuals. The list reportedly included a wide range of figures, from prominent political and business leaders to celebrities.

The Community Chest of Korea said it became aware of the issue on March 4 and immediately removed the documents. “We have confirmed that there has been no additional leakage,” the organization explained.

It added that it has strengthened internal procedures for managing posted materials and reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission. The organization is also contacting affected donors individually.

Finally, the charity stated it would support victims by helping them enroll in identity theft protection services through a dedicated response team. “We will also compensate for any secondary financial damage,” it said, adding that it will do its utmost to protect donors’ personal information.

Founded in 1998, the Community Chest of Korea is a nonprofit organization and the only government-authorized charity in South Korea, as well as the country’s largest welfare institution.