[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Sung-pil] A proctor who obtained personal information of a student taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and contacted the student saying "I like you" was found guilty in the appellate court.
On the 21st, according to the legal community, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeals Division 9 (Presiding Judge Choi Han-don) overturned the original verdict that acquitted teacher A (32), who was charged with violating the Personal Information Protection Act, and sentenced him to four months in prison with a one-year probation. The court ruled that the original court's judgment that "the defendant qualifies as a 'handler of personal information'" was incorrect and recognized A's guilt. The court stated, "The defendant did not receive the students' personal information for the purpose of managing personal information files, so he cannot be considered a 'handler of personal information.'"
Regarding sentencing, the court said, "The victim appeared to have suffered significant psychological shock, including leaving her previous residence due to fear after receiving contact from the defendant," and added, "The defendant not only failed to apologize and seek forgiveness from the victim but also pressured her to withdraw the complaint by saying, 'Based on legal consultation, false accusation charges may be filed,' so strict punishment is necessary."
A is accused of, on November 15, 2018, while proctoring at a CSAT test site in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, comparing student B's application form and admission ticket to find her contact information, then sending messages such as "I like you" via KakaoTalk. The prosecution charged A with violating the Personal Information Protection Act, arguing that he used B's personal information beyond the intended purpose of provision, but the first trial court acknowledged that the defendant's actions were inappropriate yet acquitted him.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
