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| Image capture of the main page of open.go.kr |
By Lee Kyung-min
A slew of sensitive information about police investigations into deaths and first responders' emergency response records remain available for public access on a state-run website, raising concerns about the poor management of online communication channels that disclose responses to inquiries by the public.
Also coming under criticism is the apparent waste of 2.4 billion won ($20 million) in taxpayers' money used to update the website, which was overshadowed by a lack of follow-up training to help civil servants having a full command of the new system.
According to the civic group, the Center for Freedom of Information and a Transparent Society, about a dozen reports written by government agencies were available for download on the website open.go.kr operated by the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
Included are internal police investigation reports on the death of a man in the capital region as well as complaints filed with the police and the prosecution demanding investigations.
Also available were reports in detail on a man who died after a car accident with graphic photos included. The death certificate, autopsy report, crime scene photos and statements made to the police were all included, not to mention the occupations, places of employment, home addresses, phone numbers and resident registration numbers of the victim and family members.
The ministry said in a statement that the reports were made available by mistake as civil servants in charge of online data management had yet to "familiarize themselves" with the new system's manual, saying the posts in question were deleted.
"We will set up a new protocol to help public servants deal with sensitive information and have them use the updated system with full understanding, as part of measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," the ministry said in a statement.
The center's activist Kang Sung-gook said he was even more shocked by the casual attitude of the ministry officials when he first reported the problem than he was about the poorly managed data.
"When I called the official in charge, the person didn't even sound a bit taken aback, casually telling me that the situation would be looked into and necessary measures taken," he said. "I think it goes to show how insensitive and uncaring civil servants are when their supposed duty is to bolster the public interest."
If the system is unstable or the administrator has yet to fully grasp the updated system, proper training is needed for them to understand the program, he said.
"From what I have heard, there was only one piece of paper informing them about the new system without an in-person session to train them. What good is a 2.4 billion won update to the system if the user does not know how to use it? The ministry should have known better."
