Stronger Fines Alone Insufficient, Calls Refined System Design

Simply raising fines is not enough to prevent personal information leaks. Three institutions, including the Korean Academic Society of Administration Law Theory and Practice, held a joint academic conference at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 21st to discuss institutional improvements reflecting environmental changes—such as the advancement of the latest hacking technologies and the expansion of data utilization—which have led to an increase in accidents.

Professor Kim Sung-hwan diagnosed that while fines are useful for correcting corporate behavioral incentives, they have limitations in preventing accidents themselves. He pointed out that the increase in accidents is due not only to weak corporate compliance awareness but also to changes in the technological environment, such as the advancement of the latest hacking technologies and the expansion of data utilization. Professor Kim proposed the establishment of government-level governance that includes data utilization standards and protection measures.

Specific measures were also presented regarding the criteria for calculating fines. Professor Jeong Hoon analyzed that while it is easy to calculate related revenue in the telecommunications industry because service-specific accounting separation is possible, it is difficult for complex platform companies, necessitating detailed differentiation in system operation. Professor Hong Dae-sik proposed that total revenue could be used as the starting point for calculating fines or as the ceiling for sanctions.

Experts agreed that rather than simply increasing fines, a comprehensive consideration of the latest technology trends, causes of accidents, corporate responsibility, industry-specific accounting structures, and objection procedures is necessary.