When Asked If She Would Delete the "Child's Photo," Paek Hyunjin Only Smiles Without Answering

Heated Exchange on Social Media Leads to Posting of Child’s Photo
Refuses to Delete Despite Controversy... Smiles When Asked for Explanation

Paek Hyunjin, a member of the People Power Party, smiled and left the scene when reporters asked about her posting the personal information of a private citizen who left critical comments on her social media. Photo from MBC Newsdesk broadcast screen capture

Controversy surrounding Paek Hyunjin, a member of the People Power Party, continues for the third consecutive day after she posted a photo of a child, presumed to be a family member of a netizen with whom she had a heated exchange on her social media, without any form of concealment. The criticism has intensified as she has taken no action to address the flood of requests for the photo’s removal. The backlash has grown even stronger after it was revealed that just two weeks prior, Assemblywoman Paek herself had sponsored the so-called "Cyberbullying Prevention Act," which calls for penalties against those who disclose others’ personal information.

According to a report by MBC Newsdesk on January 29, Assemblywoman Paek, when approached by reporters at the National Assembly the previous day and asked, "Do you intend to take down the child's photo?" and "There are concerns this could be considered secondary harm," simply smiled and left without answering.

Paek Hyunjin, a member of the People Power Party, smiled and left the scene when reporters asked about her posting the personal information of a private citizen who left critical comments on her social media. Photo from MBC Newsdesk broadcast screen capture

Heated Social Media Debate Leads to Posting of Young Girl’s Photo

The controversy began on January 25, when Assemblywoman Paek posted on Facebook regarding the withdrawal of Lee Hyehoon’s nomination. She wrote, "It has been confirmed that Lee Hyehoon was tracking and spying on Jungseong-dong, her former constituency, through an insider," and warned, "If there is any retaliation against the People Power Party members in Jungseong-dong who assisted with the vetting process, the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party will not stand idly by."

When a netizen commented, "You should just stay out of it," Assemblywoman Paek replied, "You come to my Facebook and speak so rudely." She then added another comment, "Posting your child’s photo while leaving malicious comments," and uploaded a photo of a young girl, presumed to be the netizen’s family member, without any mosaic or concealment. Considering the netizen is a middle-aged man, it is presumed that the girl in the photo is his granddaughter.

Paik Hyunjin, a member of the People Power Party, is engaged in a heated debate with a private citizen in the comments section on her social media. Paik Hyunjin Facebook

After the photo was posted, Assemblywoman Paek’s supporters left mocking comments such as, "Does your child know what her father is doing?" and "Aren’t you ashamed for your child?" While some demanded the removal of the child’s photo, as of the afternoon of January 29, Assemblywoman Paek had not deleted it.

Refusal to Delete Despite Controversy: Potential Violation of Portrait and Human Rights

The main concern is that Assemblywoman Paek’s actions could seriously infringe upon the child’s portrait rights and human rights. There are claims that a politician publicly posting the face of a private citizen’s minor child in a way that invites ridicule could even constitute abuse under the Child Welfare Act.

Just two weeks earlier, Assemblywoman Paek had sponsored a criminal law amendment bill calling for strong penalties for "unauthorized disclosure of personal information that induces secondary harm from an unspecified majority."

According to the amendment, those who commit such acts may face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. By the logic of the bill, Assemblywoman Paek herself could be subject to punishment. In addition to the child’s photo, she also exposed the business card of another netizen who criticized her, revealing their name, workplace, and phone number.