Seoul: Hackers who accessed and stole personal information from Seoul's public bike-sharing service, Ttareungyi, in 2024 have been identified as two teenagers, according to police reports on Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that the two high school students have been referred to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the information and communications network law in connection with the Ttareungyi data breach.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the teenagers are suspected of hacking into Seoul Facilities Corp.'s Ttareungyi server over a two-day period starting June 28, 2024. At the time, they were middle school students. The breach resulted in the theft of personal information belonging to 4.62 million Ttareungyi members. The compromised information included usernames, mobile phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, dates of birth, genders, and weights, although names and resident registration numbers were not leaked.

Police believe the hacking might have been intended for selling personal information but have not found evidence of the information being leaked to third parties. One suspect admitted to hacking out of curiosity and a desire to show off, while the other suspect has chosen to exercise the right to remain silent.

An arrest warrant was sought for one of the teenagers, but the request was denied by the prosecution due to the suspect's status as a juvenile delinquent. The discovery of this crime occurred during a separate police investigation into an April 2024 hacking incident involving a private mobility rental company.

The police are also investigating officials from Seoul Facilities Corp. for inadequate management of the server that contained Ttareungyi members' personal information.