▲ Personal Information Protection Commission Chairperson Song Kyung-hee attends a plenary session of the commission at the government complex in central Seoul, in this July 29, 2026, file photo. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's privacy watchdog said Thursday it has fined machinery company HD Construction Equipment 73.5 million won (US$53,200) over a personal information leak that affected over 9,000 workers.

The Personal Information Protection Commission also levied a fine of 4.8 million won on its affiliate, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering, which served as the access point for the breach.

The regulator's investigation found that an unidentified hacker breached HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering's mobile equipment management server in March 2024, and gained access to the machinery company's system.

The hacker then stole the personal data of 9,503 workers of HD Construction Equipment and contractor companies, which included their names and employee identification numbers.

The regulator said the two companies did not restrict access between their systems even when such access was not needed, allowing the hacker to steal the data.

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