2,672 Clinical Trial Files Downloaded via ChatGPT, Korea's Drug Agency Says

A total of 2,672 clinical trial documents managed by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety could be downloaded through ChatGPT without any login or password, according to findings disclosed at a parliamentary audit. The ministry said it became aware of the issue the previous day and blocked external access to the files in the early hours of the 13th.

Rep. Lee So-hee of the People Power Party raised the issue at a National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee audit on the same day. "When our office checked, not a single document was shown as public on the results screen of the drug safety portal, yet 2,672 clinical trial result documents could be downloaded," she said. "This was not hacking. We used ChatGPT, which anyone can use, and no login or password was required."

Of the downloaded documents, 839 contained corporate information designated as confidential, while 2,208 included mobile phone numbers of responsible officials. Because corporate and personal information not subject to public disclosure was accessible from outside, critics said the ministry's data protection system was inadequate.

"This raises serious questions about the data protection system at the ministry, which manages companies' core information," Lee said. The ministry is conducting a comprehensive review of its data management system, including how external access was possible and whether additional information was exposed.

Commissioner Oh Yu-kyoung apologized, saying, "We became aware of the data leak yesterday. We blocked access rights to this data in the early hours of today and are reviewing the matter comprehensively."