Seoul: The number of cybersecurity experts in South Korea remained nearly unchanged last year from a year earlier, despite a recent rise in data breaches across industries, government data showed Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, data released by the Ministry of Science and ICT revealed that 66,300 people were employed at companies related to information protection in 2024, marking a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Among these, 24,000 individuals were engaged in the cybersecurity sector, reflecting a minimal increase of just 0.2 percent from the previous year.

The data also highlighted an increase in the number of experts in physical protection, which encompasses human, facility, and information security against theft or damage. This sector experienced a 16.6 percent rise, reaching 42,000 individuals last year. Moreover, the number of information protection companies grew by 4.2 percent to 1,780 in 2024, including 876 firms dedicated to cybersecurity.

Revenues from the information protection industry reached 18.6 trillion won (US$12.9 billion) last year, representing a 10.5 percent increase from a year earlier. Additionally, exports of information protection solutions surged to 1.9 trillion won, up 11.4 percent on-year.

Concerns over cybersecurity have recently escalated following a series of data breaches at major telecom and financial companies in South Korea, including SK Telecom Co. and Lotte Card Co. These incidents have underscored the critical need for a robust cybersecurity workforce in the country.