Korea to reinforce IT privacy laws

Measures to protect personal information and privacy and to reduce the information gap are to be implemented as part of the Korea government's framework for national information modernization.

Korea, July 13 (JoongAng Ilbo) - At the fifth session of Korea's 'informationization strategy meeting' hosted by President Kim Dae-jung at Chong Wa Dae on July 12, the government agreed to beef up regulations related to the protection of personal information.

Communications companies and agencies will be punished with a maximum five-year jail sentences or up to 1 billion won in fines if caught selling or buying personal information under the modified regulations.

At the meeting, Information and Communication Minister Ahn Byong-yup reported "plans to submit a proposal to the National Assembly to revise the laws related to the information communication network and to enact laws related to information communication infrastructure protection during this year.

10,000 elementary, middle and high schools throughout the nation will also receive ultra-high speed Internet connections by the end of this year, and 50,000 students from lower class families will be given free computers starting in October. The government also plans to provide education in IT for 10 million students by 2002.

The proposal would include educating hackers and reinforcing the protection of personal information. Minister Ahn also emphasized that "when personal information is leaked, strengthened regulations will ensure not only the communications companies but also the agencies and individuals are heavily punished under criminal laws."

National Intelligence Service Chief Lim Dong-won explained that "in order to build a system to systematically counteract cyber-terrorism against nations and public institutions, the government plans to establish regulations to protect national information-communication infrastructure under presidential order, and to enact further protective laws."

The government plans to carry out a mock training against cyber terrorism during August in which all relevant government bureaus will participate. In addition, the government will combat cyber-terrorism by implementing various countermeasures, including a 24-hour hacker tracking system employed by the National Police Agency.

Korean Ministry to announce privacy guidelines for ISPs by June South Korea government moves to negate adverse effects of IT