"Personal Information Leaks at the Level of Social Disasters"... Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Urges Reforms

Resolution Proposed by Wonjong Park Passes Plenary Session; To Be Delivered to Government and National Assembly
Lack of Prompt Notification System
Insufficient Measures to Prevent Secondary Damages

The Jeonnam Provincial Assembly has called for institutional reforms at the national level in response to a series of large-scale personal information leaks.

The Jeonnam Provincial Assembly announced on the 27th that the 'Resolution Calling for the Strengthening of Personal Information Protection and Improvement of Victim Relief Systems,' sponsored by Assemblyman Wonjong Park (Democratic Party of Korea, Yeonggwang 1), passed the plenary session on the 23rd.

Wonjong Park, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

Assemblyman Park pointed out, "Major corporations such as Lotte Card and SK Telecom have experienced successive incidents in which millions of pieces of personal information have been leaked, yet there have been no substantial compensation or protective measures for all victims." He emphasized, "This is not simply a matter of corporate mismanagement, but a social disaster that threatens the financial security and property of the public."

Assemblyman Park also highlighted problems with the current legal system. He said, "Current law requires companies to report personal information leaks to the Personal Information Protection Commission within 72 hours of becoming aware of the incident, but in cases where fewer than 1,000 individuals are affected, incidents are often handled internally or go unreported." He added, "There is also a lack of legal provisions for a 'prompt notification system' to directly inform victims, making it difficult to prevent secondary damages."

The insufficient severity of penalties was also raised as an issue. Assemblyman Park stated, "Over the past five years, 88.54 million cases of personal information have been leaked, but the total amount of fines and penalties imposed averages only 1,000 won per case." He stressed, "Personal information leaks are not just a matter for individual companies, but an issue that must be addressed at the national level as a disaster."

He continued, "Protecting personal information is not a choice for companies, but a duty of the state to safeguard the basic rights of its citizens. The provincial assembly will reflect the will of the residents and urge institutional reforms to move toward a safer digital society."

Meanwhile, this resolution will be delivered to the government and the National Assembly and is expected to serve as an opportunity for legislative discussions on amending the Personal Information Protection Act and strengthening victim relief systems.