Human Rights Commission: "The Scope of Police Intelligence Activities Must Be Directly Regulated by Law"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has expressed the opinion that the scope of police activities such as information collection, operations, and distribution should be stipulated in the Police Officers' Execution of Duties Act.

On the 3rd, the Human Rights Commission held the 41st Standing Committee meeting and resolved to express this opinion regarding the "Partial Amendment to the Police Officers' Execution of Duties Act (proposed by Representative Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea)" and plans to deliver it to the National Assembly.

The amendment to the Police Officers' Execution of Duties Act replaces the current legal definition of police information activities as "security information" with a broader concept of "information for the prevention and response to risks to public safety." Additionally, the specific scope and handling standards of such information are delegated to presidential decrees. This bill recently passed the Legislative Review Subcommittee of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee.

The Human Rights Commission acknowledged the necessity of the amendment but further judged that "to protect the right to self-determination of personal information, it is necessary to directly enumerate the scope of police information activities, namely 'information for the prevention and response to risks to public safety,' in the Police Officers' Execution of Duties Act."

The Commission pointed out that "especially in cases of 'collection and preparation of policy information' and 'background checks,' it is difficult to consider these within the scope of police information activities," and warned that "rather, if handled by the police, it could infringe on citizens' right to self-determination of personal information."