
Korean Society Slips Into Age of Surveillance The Korea Times \|\| November 5, 2005 The recent revelation that the country’s spy agency snooped on civilians during past administrations is renewing public fears that Korea is becoming a surveillance society based on an intrusive state. The increased awareness of privacy comes at a time when people have become accustomed to varying levels of citizen surveillance. Driving past cameras attached to traffic poles, walking along streets webbed with crime-monitoring closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and using chip-installed credit cards to pay for mass transit, which record trips on buses and subway trains, has become routine for many urban citizens. And with the latest advances on hand-sized digital cameras, Internet-enabled wireless devices and sensor-enabled tracking applications, even your next-door neighbor could put an end to your privacy. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com Despite the worries over the infringement of civil liberties, the use of surveillance technology is growing in the public sector, with administrators looking for more effective ways to deliver public services. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plans to install electronic devices in passenger cars to pinpoint their locations as part of a new traffic control plan, has recently touched off a heated debate. Civic groups are pushing city authorities to take a harder look a privacy concerns about radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. When authorities are able to track the movement of drivers and access their names, addresses, billing information and other data, which will be stored in a database, this could leave citizens more vulnerable to privacy infringement critics point out. However, city authorities insist that the deployment of RFID technology is unavoidable if the city’s plan to reward drivers who abide by the city’s new traffic programs is to become a reality. City officials at Seoul’s southern Kangnam district also touched off a heated argument when they recently pushed for an increase of crime-detecting CCTV cameras in its neighborhoods. The district office has spent over 10 billion won ($9.4 million) since August 2004 to install 272 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public places and major residential areas to spot emergencies or suspicious behavior. The newly installed surveillance cameras continuously monitor their surroundings 24 hours a day, turning their lenses in a full circle with a zoom capability that magnifies images up to 22 times. Critics question whether the surveillance cameras have been effective in reducing crime. According to police data from September 2004 to August 2005, the number of major crimes in five categories in Kangnam was recorded at 5,238, a 6.4 percent drop from the same period in the previous year. However, Seoul's numbers in the five major crime categories dropped 7.9 percent during the same period, so it's hard to tell if Kangnam's surveillance cameras made a difference. Another controversy has erupted over the plans by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs to introduce a new national identity cards by 2007. Although government officials have not announced the design of the new identification cards, they have been considering introducing chip-embedded cards that carry personal information such as identification numbers, driver’s licenses, healthcare insurance codes and more. Critics question whether such private information will be protected. Home	Weekly Features
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Korean Society Slips Into Age of Surveillance

The Korea Times || November 5, 2005

The recent revelation that the country’s spy agency snooped on civilians during past administrations is renewing public fears that Korea is becoming a surveillance society based on an intrusive state.

The increased awareness of privacy comes at a time when people have become accustomed to varying levels of citizen surveillance.

Driving past cameras attached to traffic poles, walking along streets webbed with crime-monitoring closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and using chip-installed credit cards to pay for mass transit, which record trips on buses and subway trains, has become routine for many urban citizens.

And with the latest advances on hand-sized digital cameras, Internet-enabled wireless devices and sensor-enabled tracking applications, even your next-door neighbor could put an end to your privacy.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Despite the worries over the infringement of civil liberties, the use of surveillance technology is growing in the public sector, with administrators looking for more effective ways to deliver public services.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plans to install electronic devices in passenger cars to pinpoint their locations as part of a new traffic control plan, has recently touched off a heated debate.

Civic groups are pushing city authorities to take a harder look a privacy concerns about radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.

When authorities are able to track the movement of drivers and access their names, addresses, billing information and other data, which will be stored in a database, this could leave citizens more vulnerable to privacy infringement critics point out.

However, city authorities insist that the deployment of RFID technology is unavoidable if the city’s plan to reward drivers who abide by the city’s new traffic programs is to become a reality.

City officials at Seoul’s southern Kangnam district also touched off a heated argument when they recently pushed for an increase of crime-detecting CCTV cameras in its neighborhoods. The district office has spent over 10 billion won ($9.4 million) since August 2004 to install 272 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public places and major residential areas to spot emergencies or suspicious behavior. The newly installed surveillance cameras continuously monitor their surroundings 24 hours a day, turning their lenses in a full circle with a zoom capability that magnifies images up to 22 times.

Critics question whether the surveillance cameras have been effective in reducing crime. According to police data from September 2004 to August 2005, the number of major crimes in five categories in Kangnam was recorded at 5,238, a 6.4 percent drop from the same period in the previous year. However, Seoul's numbers in the five major crime categories dropped 7.9 percent during the same period, so it's hard to tell if Kangnam's surveillance cameras made a difference.

Another controversy has erupted over the plans by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs to introduce a new national identity cards by 2007.

Although government officials have not announced the design of the new identification cards, they have been considering introducing chip-embedded cards that carry personal information such as identification numbers, driver’s licenses, healthcare insurance codes and more. Critics question whether such private information will be protected.

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Korean Society Slips Into Age of Surveillance

The Korea Times || November 5, 2005

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