Korean Bar Association Urges Enactment of 'Three Civil Livelihood Laws' Including Discovery System: "Institutional Gaps Must Be Closed"

"Hurry Needed for Introduction of Discovery, Punitive Damages, and Class Action Systems"
"Recurring Large-Scale Personal Information Leaks... Stemming from Institutional Gaps"

The Korean Bar Association (KBA) has called for the prompt enactment of the so-called "Three Civil Livelihood Laws," which include the discovery system, punitive damages, and class action systems.

Yonhap News Agency

On September 12, the KBA issued a statement titled "We Urge the Prompt Enactment of the Three Civil Livelihood Laws, Including the Discovery System," making this announcement.

In the statement, the association said, "Large-scale personal information leaks, such as those recently experienced by SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus, are recurring every year," adding, "The KBA expresses deep concern over these incidents and urges the prompt enactment of the Three Civil Livelihood Laws, which can fundamentally resolve these issues." The association pointed out that the repeated leaks of personal information and corporate secrets are not isolated incidents but structural problems arising from institutional gaps.

The KBA explained, "The current litigation system suffers from a severe imbalance in access to information. Even when companies possess key evidence in damage cases, victims have almost no legal means to access it," and added, "If the discovery system is introduced, parties in litigation will be able to share evidence in advance, ensuring equality of arms and creating a fair and transparent litigation environment."

The statement continued, "Currently, the punitive damages system applies only to a limited scope, such as the Product Liability Act, making it difficult to impose effective responsibility on companies," and stressed, "For serious negligence or intentional acts that infringe on citizens' rights, strong sanctions are needed to encourage prevention and responsible management."

Furthermore, the association emphasized, "The class action system is currently limited to the securities sector, so even in cases of large-scale consumer damage, victims must respond individually," and insisted, "A comprehensive expansion of the class action system is necessary to provide collective relief of rights."

The KBA reiterated, "The Three Civil Livelihood Laws are the minimum institutional measures needed to substantially protect citizens' rights and must be enacted as soon as possible," and urged the National Assembly to promptly pass the Three Civil Livelihood Laws, including the discovery system."