hankyoreh

Fears are mounting after nuclear power plant diagrams and other information from Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) were leaked online over the past week. December 23 was the fifth straight day the suspected culprit posted a Twitter message containing details from the organization in charge of managing South Korea’s nuclear facilities. The government’s joint investigation team said it confirmed the IP addresses to be concentrated around Shenyang, China, but the perpetrator’s identity remains a mystery. Meanwhile, the ruling Saenuri Party (NFP) seems to be trying to taking advantage of the situation to enact a cyber terrorism prevention law. It’s a baffling move that opens the party up to charges of using the public’s fears to achieve its own political ends.

It all started with remarks by President Park Geun-hye. On Dec. 23, she classified the power plant leak case as a national security issue and called for the identification of the organizers. As if on cue, the Saenuri Party came out the next day with allegations of North Korean involvement, which were based on no real evidence. Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn went a step further, saying the investigation was “proceeding on the possibility of North Korea’s responsibility.” In fact, nothing at all is known about the culprit’s identity. These are all mere “possibilities.”

The ruling party’s aim in raising the specter of North Korea is clear enough: using the situation as an excuse to get the cyber terrorism legislation passed during the National Assembly’s current extraordinary session. This was made apparent when Saenuri lawmaker Won Yoo-chul mentioned the speculation while stressing the need for the opposition to “come together on passing the law.” The actual legislation is dangerous stuff that would hand tremendous cyberspace monitoring powers to the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Not only that, but it comes at a time when the NIS‘s political interference has popular distrust in it through the roof. It seems fair to suggest that the ruling party has unseemly ulterior motives in alleging North Korean involvement to get the cyber-terrorism law passed.

The professed culprit, who is referred to as a “nuclear opposition group chairman,” has demanded a three-month shutdown of the No. 1 and 3 reactors at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant and the No. 2 reactor at Wolseong as of Christmas day. This person threatened to disclose some 100,000 documents and cause “secondary destruction” if the demand is not met. Experts are saying that each successive leak has involved higher-level information, and that a full-scale leak is likely to publicly expose all of the plants’ confidential data. Some are warning of a possible worst-case scenario where the plants have to be shut down anyway. KNHP, for its part, continues to insist that additional leaks wouldn‘t pose any serious problem. Instead of pointing fingers, the ruling party should we working to identify the exact channels behind the leaks.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]