Corporate Accountability in Networked Asia
199
prevent creeping networked authoritarian tendencies in democratic societies, stronger
strategic alliances between civil society and industry will be needed to push back
against abuse of government power by means of digital networks and platforms.
South Korea: From Dictatorship to E-Democracy to “ Free-Floating Control ”
26
After decades of dictatorship, South Korea underwent a successful transition to democracy in the 1990s. At the same time, thanks to a strong government emphasis on ICT
investment over the past two decades, by 2009 more than 80 percent of South Koreans
had become Internet users, with Internet access reaching more than 95 percent of
households.
27 Upon his inauguration in 2003, late President Roh Moo-hyun was hailed
in the international media as the world ’ s fi rst “ Internet president ” of the world ’ s most
advanced “ Internet democracy. ”
28 His narrow election victory was widely credited
to viral mobilization by his online supporters via citizen-media Web sites like
Oh myNews.
29 Yet by 2009 domestic and international human rights groups were
sounding the alarm about mounting and blatant violations of Korean citizens ’ right
to free expression and privacy on the Internet.
In March 2010, Reporters Without Borders placed South Korea on its watch list,
citing “ a liberticidal legislative arsenal that is inducing netizens to practice selfcensorship — all that in the name of the fi ght against dissemination of ‘ false information. ’ ”
30 After visiting South Korea in May 2010 and meeting with local human rights
organizations as well as government offi cials, the United Nations special rapporteur
on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, concluded, “ I am concerned that in recent
years, there has been a shrinking space for freedom of expression in the Republic of
Korea. ” Online expression, he wrote in a press statement, was being squeezed by
“ arbitrary procedures for the deletion of information on the Internet ” as a result of
the broadening of regulatory requirements placed on Internet service providers (ISPs)
and other content-hosting services.
31 He also cited South Korea ’ s real-name identifi cation requirement for Internet portals, which he concluded “ has the potential to
undermine individuals ’ right to express opinions, particularly criticisms of the Government, as well as the right to privacy. ”
32
Laws requiring real-name registration tied to the National ID system for all users
of Internet portals and services over a certain size, as well as other laws targeting
“ spread of rumors, ” defamation, and “ campaigning ” during an election period, were
fi rst enacted during the Roh administration.
33 The reasons for their enactment are
familiar to many democratic societies in the Internet age: protecting innocent people
against cyber harassment, cyber bullying, and cyber attack. By the middle of the fi rst
decade of the 21st century, cyber bullying had become a serious social problem in
Korea: vicious cyber mobs had caused the suicide of several celebrities and turned
ordinary citizens into national pariahs for being caught on cell-phone cameras
199
prevent creeping networked authoritarian tendencies in democratic societies, stronger
strategic alliances between civil society and industry will be needed to push back
against abuse of government power by means of digital networks and platforms.
South Korea: From Dictatorship to E-Democracy to “ Free-Floating Control ”
26
After decades of dictatorship, South Korea underwent a successful transition to democracy in the 1990s. At the same time, thanks to a strong government emphasis on ICT
investment over the past two decades, by 2009 more than 80 percent of South Koreans
had become Internet users, with Internet access reaching more than 95 percent of
households.
27 Upon his inauguration in 2003, late President Roh Moo-hyun was hailed
in the international media as the world ’ s fi rst “ Internet president ” of the world ’ s most
advanced “ Internet democracy. ”
28 His narrow election victory was widely credited
to viral mobilization by his online supporters via citizen-media Web sites like
Oh myNews.
29 Yet by 2009 domestic and international human rights groups were
sounding the alarm about mounting and blatant violations of Korean citizens ’ right
to free expression and privacy on the Internet.
In March 2010, Reporters Without Borders placed South Korea on its watch list,
citing “ a liberticidal legislative arsenal that is inducing netizens to practice selfcensorship — all that in the name of the fi ght against dissemination of ‘ false information. ’ ”
30 After visiting South Korea in May 2010 and meeting with local human rights
organizations as well as government offi cials, the United Nations special rapporteur
on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, concluded, “ I am concerned that in recent
years, there has been a shrinking space for freedom of expression in the Republic of
Korea. ” Online expression, he wrote in a press statement, was being squeezed by
“ arbitrary procedures for the deletion of information on the Internet ” as a result of
the broadening of regulatory requirements placed on Internet service providers (ISPs)
and other content-hosting services.
31 He also cited South Korea ’ s real-name identifi cation requirement for Internet portals, which he concluded “ has the potential to
undermine individuals ’ right to express opinions, particularly criticisms of the Government, as well as the right to privacy. ”
32
Laws requiring real-name registration tied to the National ID system for all users
of Internet portals and services over a certain size, as well as other laws targeting
“ spread of rumors, ” defamation, and “ campaigning ” during an election period, were
fi rst enacted during the Roh administration.
33 The reasons for their enactment are
familiar to many democratic societies in the Internet age: protecting innocent people
against cyber harassment, cyber bullying, and cyber attack. By the middle of the fi rst
decade of the 21st century, cyber bullying had become a serious social problem in
Korea: vicious cyber mobs had caused the suicide of several celebrities and turned
ordinary citizens into national pariahs for being caught on cell-phone cameras