The official: "For security reasons... No actual recording was made"
Employees' Council: "An outdated mindset that treats staff as criminals"
A senior official of the Buk-gu Council in Gwangju has sparked controversy by installing a closed-circuit television (CCTV) inside the office. The official explained, "It was only a dummy and there was no actual recording," but within the council, there were demands for a public apology, criticizing it as "an outdated mindset that treats employees as criminals."
According to the Buk-gu Council and others on the 5th, the issue was first raised at the 299th 2nd regular session of the Buk-gu Council in Gwangju on the 23rd of last month.
On the 23rd of last month, at the 299th Gwangju Bukgu Council 2nd Regular Meeting, Councilor Son Hyejin is inquiring the Director of the Shared Council Secretariat about the installation of CCTV inside the office. Screenshot from Gwangju Bukgu Council video
On that day, Councilor Son Hyejin (Progressive Party, Yongbong, Maegok, Ilgok, Samgak-dong) asked the chief of the council secretariat, "Did you install a camera (CCTV) in the director's office, which is a place where councilors and staff frequently come and go?" The chief responded, "It was a dummy," and explained, "I thought there might be a need for surveillance over my desk, so I left it there."
When Councilor Son asked again, "Whether it's a dummy or real, what is the reason for having a camera? Are you aware of the Personal Information Protection Act?" the chief replied, "Afterward, the security issue was resolved by installing a lock, so the camera, which was there only in form, was removed."
In relation to this, the Secretariat Employees' Council issued a statement the previous day, saying, "The chief tried to install CCTV under the excuse of having many confidential documents, but was caught," expressing their opposition.
They continued, "This shows an outdated perception that treats employees as potential criminals," and urged, "Make a public apology for attempting to violate the human rights of public officials."
In a phone call with our outlet, the chief reiterated, "Since last month, reports of abuse of power have been submitted, and there is sensitive information such as statements and personal data, so I inevitably placed it for security reasons. There was no actual recording." He added, "If the staff perceived it that way, I apologize."
On the other hand, a representative of the Employees' Council pointed out, "Regardless of whether it was recording or not, the intention to install CCTV in a public space remains unchanged," and added, "There was not even any discussion or process for installation with any of the secretariat staff."
Meanwhile, according to Article 25 of the Personal Information Protection Act, CCTV cannot be installed or operated in public places except in five cases, such as traffic control, crime prevention and investigation, facility safety, and fire prevention.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
