[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA), which sparked controversy over 'surveillance' by collecting a large volume of communication records, reportedly responded that it has no statistics to submit when requested to disclose the number of cases collected.
According to the office of Rep. Jo Su-jin of the People Power Party on the 14th, the HCIA replied to an inquiry requesting "the number of people and cases of communication data collected since its launch" by saying, "It is difficult to ascertain accurate statistical data," and asked for understanding for not being able to submit it.
The HCIA cited the reason for not being able to produce accurate statistics as the fact that "the Criminal Justice Information System (KICS), which manages cases, has not yet been established."
Although the Act on the Promotion of Electronic Criminal Justice Procedures was amended on the 28th of last month to add the HCIA as an operating institution of KICS, its establishment has been delayed due to opposition from the prosecution regarding system linkage.
The HCIA was revealed to have extensively collected communication records of domestic and foreign media reporters, politicians, legal professionals, as well as their supporters, families, and acquaintances between August and November last year, sparking controversy. This has led to criticism labeling it as 'communication surveillance.' The Korean Criminal Procedure Law Association has also announced plans to file a constitutional complaint against the HCIA's communication data inquiries.
Rep. Jo Su-jin pointed out, "While complaining about a lack of personnel, they have collected opposition party and private communication data to an extent that they cannot even grasp."
Meanwhile, the HCIA was reported to have accessed the communication data of Rep. Jeon Ju-hye of the People Power Party but responded that "there is no record of inquiry" due to omission in aggregation, and was reported to the prosecution the day before on charges of falsifying official documents.
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