privacy Archives | Be Korea-savvy
Loopholes in Korean Law Leave Patients’ Medical Records Vulnerable

Loopholes in Korean Law Leave Patients’ Medical Records Vulnerable

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Despite repeated warnings, South Korea’s legal framework still fails to prevent unauthorized access to patients’ medical records, leaving sensitive information vulnerable to misuse. At the center of the concern is a glaring legislative gap: under current medical law, hospitals are only required to keep logs when electronic medical records [...]

Koreans Push for EU-Style Punitive Damages as Trust in Corporate Data Security Erodes

Koreans Push for EU-Style Punitive Damages as Trust in Corporate Data Security Erodes

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — In the wake of a string of high-profile data leaks, an overwhelming majority of South Koreans say they view such incidents as a serious threat and support adopting punitive damages similar to those in Europe and other advanced economies, a new poll shows. According to a Realmeter survey of 500 [...]

Court Upholds Fines for Marriage Brokers Who Shared Vietnamese Women’s Personal Data

Court Upholds Fines for Marriage Brokers Who Shared Vietnamese Women’s Personal Data

UIJEONGBU, Aug. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean appeals court has upheld fines for two marriage brokers who illegally shared personal information of Vietnamese women with male clients via KakaoTalk, ruling the act violated the country’s marriage brokerage law. On August 15, the Uijeongbu District Court dismissed the appeals of two individuals, identified as [...]

Korean Job Portals Albamon and Incruit Strengthen Data Security After Hacking Incidents

Korean Job Portals Albamon and Incruit Strengthen Data Security After Hacking Incidents

SEOUL, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean job platforms Albamon and Incruit are ramping up efforts to prevent further data breaches following recent hacking incidents that exposed the personal information of tens of thousands of users. Albamon, a major part-time job listing site, announced that it will begin notifying affected members as early as next [...]

South Korea’s Intelligence Agency Warns of Security Risks in Chinese AI Model

South Korea’s Intelligence Agency Warns of Security Risks in Chinese AI Model

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has issued a warning regarding the Chinese generative artificial intelligence (AI) model DeepSeek, citing significant security vulnerabilities, including the unrestricted sharing of personal data with advertisers and inconsistencies in responses to sensitive questions based on language settings. In a statement released on February [...]

Meta Fined 21.6 Billion Won in South Korea for Collecting Sensitive User Data for Targeted Ads

Meta Fined 21.6 Billion Won in South Korea for Collecting Sensitive User Data for Targeted Ads

SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s data protection watchdog has imposed new penalties on Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for collecting sensitive personal information from Korean users, including their political views, for advertising purposes. The latest fine brings total penalties against Meta in South Korea to approximately 60 billion won.  The Personal Information Protection Commission [...]

Meta Fined for Illegally Collecting Sensitive Data of 980,000 Users

Meta Fined for Illegally Collecting Sensitive Data of 980,000 Users

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was ordered to pay 21.6 billion won (US$15.6 million) in fines for collecting sensitive data from users without notice and handing it over to advertisers, South Korea’s data protection watchdog said Tuesday. The Personal Information Protection Commission said it [...]

‘Infidelity Detective’ Sentenced for Selling Private Data on Men’s Red-Light District Visits

‘Infidelity Detective’ Sentenced for Selling Private Data on Men’s Red-Light District Visits

INCHEON, Oct. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – A man who secretly provided women with information about their husbands’ and boyfriends’ visits to red-light districts, earning millions of won in the process, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term. On October 6, Judge Hong Jun-seo of the Incheon District Court announced a verdict of one year in prison, [...]

South Korea Fines Crypto Project Worldcoin 1.1 Billion Won for Privacy Violations

South Korea Fines Crypto Project Worldcoin 1.1 Billion Won for Privacy Violations

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has imposed a fine of 1.1 billion won on Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project that collected iris scans from about 30,000 South Korean users without proper legal grounds and transferred the data overseas in violation of privacy laws.  The PIPC announced on September 26 [...]

Black Market for K-Pop Stars’ Flight Information Raises Privacy Concerns in South Korea

Black Market for K-Pop Stars’ Flight Information Raises Privacy Concerns in South Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – A thriving underground market for K-pop idols’ flight information has emerged on social media platforms, raising alarm among privacy advocates and entertainment companies alike.  On August 16, numerous posts appeared on X (formerly Twitter) offering to sell detailed flight information of popular K-pop groups. For as little as 2,000 won, [...]