hankyoreh

The Korea Communications Standards Commission yesterday decided to create a new team dedicated to deliberate over social network services and smart device applications, and to reinforce deliberation. The KCSC will advise users that post problematic content on Twitter or Facebook to take it down voluntarily and, if this advice is ignored, will block such user’s accounts. Civic and media organization have so far demanded that the plan to “gag” SNSs be withdrawn, but the KCSC has ignored such protests and gone forcibly ahead as originally planned.
The KCSC has explained that the new team is “simply a reorganization of departments in order to respond to changes in the media environment, and involves no other intention.” In view, however, of the KCSC’s past and the series of attempts by the Lee Myung-bak government to control SNSs, it is hard to regard the move as devoid of any political aim. Given, moreover, that it is highly likely to be in violation of the constitution, it must be reversed immediately.
Blocking a user’s account because of rejection of advice to voluntarily delete content, first of all, constitutes a clear abuse of authority. Given that such an action damages other content in that account and even other users that are linked to it, it is also a serious violation of freedom of expression in terms of the constitution. 　　
Given, moreover, that it is impossible, realistically speaking, to deliberate all existing SNS content, many are concerned that certain users will end up being targeted. Naturally, some wonder whether the new team will train its sights on recently popular applications such as hit political satire “I Am a Sneak” or celebrities critical of the government. 　　
A look at the way the KCSC has deliberated in the past shows these concerns to be entirely justified. So far, it has acted against any content that could place a burden on the government or ruling party, including MBC Radio’s reinstatement interview with members of the Korean Teachers & Educational Workers’ Union (KTU, Jeon Gyo Jo), episodes of PD Notebook covering mad cow disease and the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, and an episode of 60 Minute Pursuit on the sinking of the Cheonan. The commission is constantly criticized for deliberating in a highly biased manner due to being composed of pro-government figures. 　　
Despite the fact, moreover, that both ruling and opposition party lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts expressed opposition to increased deliberation over SNSs by cutting the KCSC’s entire 210 million won ($186,187) personnel increase budget, the commission forcibly created the new team using existing staff members. This must inevitably be regarded both as a challenge to the National Assembly and a threat to the public. Such actions are difficult to understand as anything other than an attempt to limit young people’s access to SNSs ahead of next year’s general and presidential elections. Let us hope they are immediately reversed.
　　
Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]