Litigation to mount from S Korean credit card data theft

[SEOUL] The theft of personal information from more than 100 million South Korean credit cards and accounts, reportedly including those of President Park Geun Hye and UN chief Ban Ki Moon, has ignited a storm of anger and litigation against credit firms.

Worried Koreans yesterday packed into branches of one of the banks hit by the theft to ensure that their money was safe, while lawyers said that 130 people joined a class action suit against their credit card providers in what is expected to be the first of multiple litigations.

"Of course I'm angry. Anyone might know when I pay my credit card bills, let alone my phone number and where I live. I might as well keep all my money in my closet," said one card user, Lee Young Hye, outside a bank branch.