Yonhap is reporting that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is looking at ways to keep the entire local Internet under watch.
According to materials submitted by the NIS to GNP lawmaker Song Young-sun, Korea’s spy agency feels the need to maintain surveillance over the entire domestic Internet in order to track down spy transmissions. Unfortunately for the spooks, however, Korea’s privacy protection laws do not allow it to do so, so they are studying ways to cope by researching laws and systems in other developed countries.
The NIS currently watches the Internet transmissions of particular suspects. Song noted that this was the first time the NIS has mentioned it wants to monitor the entire Internet, and that authorities should proceed carefully given the dangers pertaining to violations of privacy and personal information.
An interesting side note—Song mentioned that from September, four former ROK Special Forces operators were in Cambodia training Cambodian VIP bodyguards and army Special Forces counter-terrorism skills. She expressed concern, noting that about 30 North Korean Special Forces operators were deployed to Cambodia as royal bodyguards (the Cambodians traditionally having very close ties with the North, with the former king living for some time in Pyongyang), and that one couldn’t rule out the possibility that the four’s activities might lead to the leak of South Korean tactics to the North.
She said the four had recently tried to take to Cambodia training equipment like automatic rifle sights, but Incheon customs impounded the equipment.
Another GNP lawmaker said the NIS suspects that North Korean agents are engaging in cyber-operations against the South from safe houses in Dandong, China. He said the NIS has gotten its hands on pertinent intelligence and is trying to verify.
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“She expressed concern, noting that about 30 North Korean Special Forces operators were deployed to Cambodia as royal bodyguards, and that one couldn’t rule out the possibility that the South Korea mission to Cambodia might lead to South Korean tactics being leaked to the North.”
Like I was saying in a previous post, I think it’s about time a woman runs this country because the men have been making some pretty stupid decisions.
Correction…I think it’s time that…
As recent events show, North Korean spy activities are clearly taking place in South Korea, to an extent so severe that even the government has been infiltrated.
By all means I support NIS’s efforts to stop Northkoreanification of South Korea, even if it means a small comprise in privacy.
@SomeguyinKorea: I’d like to see a woman leader in South Korea but definitely not Song Young-Sun… She’s way too ajumma-ish and hawkish for my taste.
Interesting that after King Sihanouk’s death the Nork bodyguards remain. Strange that Hun Sen permits this as he forced Sihnaouk to establish diplomatic ties with the South. I wonder if Pres. Mugabe still has his?
Massive processing power needed to filter and crunch all the Internet traffic. Spend the money on some Crays or build a Google-style data center?
While the NIS is at it, they will need to seriously consider vetting all the technicians at the major ISPs and the backbone itself since they seem to already have their own syndicate going on.