Citizen Group Files Police Complaint Against Corruption Investigation Office Chief for 'Accessing Journalists' Communication Data'

Constitutional Appeal Filed Against the Telecommunications Business Act

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Amid controversy over 'surveillance' regarding the inquiry and collection of communication data of reporters from the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Gong-su-cheo), a civic group has filed a complaint against Kim Jin-wook, the head of Gong-su-cheo, with the police.

The Committee for the Protection of the Common People's Livelihood announced on the 20th that it filed a complaint against Director Kim with the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency on charges of abuse of authority and neglect of duty.

In the complaint, the group stated, "Gong-su-cheo, which should comply with the law more than any other institution, is suspected of indiscriminately accessing the communication data of current and former legal and incident team reporters from various media outlets, including accountant Kim Kyung-yul and former deputy secretary Kim Jun-woo of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, from February to November this year."

Additionally, the group argued, "Instead of investigating thousands of complaints and accusations received, Gong-su-cheo neglected its duties by transferring them to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the National Police Agency under the pretext of manpower shortages, ignoring the truth that complainants endured long suffering to reveal," and called for an investigation into Gong-su-cheo's neglect of duty.

The group also filed a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the Telecommunications Business Act, which allows investigative agencies to request communication data from telecom companies without a warrant, is unconstitutional. The group stated, "Indiscriminate access to communication data infringes on the secrecy of communication, the privacy and freedom of individuals, and violates the principle of warrant requirement, raising constitutional concerns," and "We filed a constitutional complaint targeting Article 83, Paragraph 3 of the Telecommunications Business Act, which forms the basis of this action."