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A recent incident has emerged where personal information was leaked after users downloaded Netflix’s original Squid Game and other content from P2P sites.

On the 26th, YTN reported that individuals searching for movies, dramas, office programs, and paid games to download from P2P sites unknowingly had malware installed on their devices, leading to the leakage of personal information.

The leaked data was found being sold on a foreign website. A 1GB file containing personal information of about 1,000 people was being sold for several thousand to tens of millions of Korean won. Among the listings posted in the last month, there were offers for 7 million Korean phone numbers, 30,000 passport photos, and information from famous social media accounts with more than 500,000 followers.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed through their investigation that most of the personal data was leaked via the malware "InfoStealer." InfoStealer is a hacking program designed to steal information. It is commonly installed when using P2P file-sharing services or opening attachments from blogs and emails. Users who illegally downloaded Squid Game and other content via these untrusted methods were infected with the malware.

An NIS agent explained in an interview, "Any information that can be monetized is collected and sold," adding that items like financial certificates are also being sold. He further stated, "Illegal organizations prefer to convert their profits into Bitcoin, which allows for anonymous transactions. Other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and other coins that can be exchanged are also commonly used."

The NIS has established a task force to monitor illegal personal information trading activities and their scale. If large-scale damage is detected, the agency plans to notify law enforcement or financial authorities.