. . . but that comment is not about South Korea, rather China and its current drive to censor internet bloggers. China is now moving towards implementing what has recently been put into practice in South Korea — a “real-name” ID system on Korean blog sites.
As per the article:
Proponents, led by officials and state-connected academics in the information security field, argue that mandatory controls are necessary to help subdue inflammatory attacks, misinformation and other illegal activity deemed to endanger social order. They often note registration requirements on large sites in South Korea to support their point . . . Given the country’s huge population of Internet users and its failure to guarantee freedom of expression, they (critics) argue, the case of China is hardly analogous to that of South Korea.
Considering such, just how much alike and how different are the governments of South Korea and China then in their rationale for promoting regulations that may be will be used for censorship at any moment?
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
A “Fairness Doctrine” for the Internet would seem to demand such a real-name system in the United States, too. Don’t think it couldn’t happen: Rat-faced Democrat Congressman Henry Waxman, not content with simply destroying the economy through his Waxman-Markey “Climate Change” bill, also wants to see whether his Congressional committee could strangle Americans’ rights to free speech on the Internet.
In my opinion, the Korean 실명제 on the internet was just a natural continuation/extension of the pre-existing Korean system where national ID was used for anything and everything without any protest for privacy or misuse of information that happened in other countries, just for convenience’s sake.
For example, everyone had to have a 주민등록번호 for cyworld pages, and no one worried because the Koreans hadn’t a pre-existing notion of information privacy. However, as the internet culture developed, and the netiquette of the Koreans came under scrutiny, this 실명제 was used for some sort of added preventative enforcement measures, but seriously, I’m sure if the police or the state was to go after you, they would use the physical i.p. address to track you down rather than some registration which can easily be faked or doctored and, while the Korean police would most probably be tracking down someone who spread false rumors on the state of some celebrity couple’s status of marriage, or banks failing at most, what the Chinese government would be after, might altogether a different game.
I don’t know how it would play if it was arbitrarily adopted to control the freedom of expression. I’m sure the netizens will find other ways, and all it will be is another dent on the Chinese government’s stance on the freedom of expression.
Real names on internet forums could very well facilitate stalking, even murder. Someone in your hometown REALLY didn’t like your opinion? That person could find you and kill you.
Did anything more ever happen with your stalker Robert?
On a somewhat related note, to use the free wireless internet at my local Starbucks, one must have either a citizen number or an alien number. This effectively bars tourists and short term visitors. Is it the same in Seoul? Seems odd for an internet connectivity superpower.
Re#5: Yes, it is; but at least it’s accessible with an alien number (the only problem being maniplulating the bar code reader to scan the bar code on the back of my neck
).
I got a kick out of finally registering for the National Health Insurance last week. Until now, everything I’ve needed to do in Korea had to use my full name in English as shown on the ARC. But my name is apparently too long by Korean standards (which is why I can’t order pizza online). Imagine my surprise when the NHI office wanted to use the hangeul version of my nickname(!) as my official name in their database. So much for keeping things consistent, if clumsy. (The bigger kick was the 14 months of back-premiums, but that’s a whine for another day)
“rat-faced Democrat Congressman Henry Waxman, not content with simply destroying the economy…”
Now worries, Brendon. The Republicans already beat him to that.
“Real names on internet forums could very well facilitate stalking, even murder. Someone in your hometown REALLY didn’t like your opinion? That person could find you and kill you.”
It also discourages whistle-blowers.
Remember the one who made the news shortly before last Korean elections? Whatever happened to him?
“(The bigger kick was the 14 months of back-premiums, but that’s a whine for another day)”
Well, you should have contributed…and that not just because it’s the law. Count yourself lucky you weren’t one of the thousands of pedestrians who are injured every year.
PS. I’ve got so much insurance coverage, I actually earned money when I had elective surgery.
So he’s ineffective, too? I say the sooner we’re rid of Waxman, the better.
I doubt such a system could be set up in the US. The government doesn’t have the technical competency and the people are already half-crazy re: our freedoms.
Hey, Carr. What happened to KLB? You have a great site going there.
Locking up wifi connections at local coffee shops is bad PR for the country since it more of what one would expect in a country like China. It re-enforces the idea that the government is repressive and can not be trusted.
Such does not help security either because, currently, there is so much data theft in South Korea that it is easy for someone to steal someone’s ID and post using such information. Even if the government’s goal is to prevent drive-by spamming, phishing, hacking or whatever, from a local wireless connection, it just won’t work.
I am beginning to wonder if there is also a Korean “Green Dam” in the future as well.
Someguy @10 – just to clarify, I’m not completely irresponsible… up until now I maintained an insurance policy in the USA that covered me while in Korea, and even provided for air ambulance back to the USA if I didn’t like the treatment here. Furthermore, because of my visa / employment status I am not legally required to participate in the NIH; it is optional.
I can understand if I was breaking the law, then I could view the back-premiums as punishment. But in my situation, it was a bit puzzling and a touch pill to swallow. But rules are rules, and I needed the insurance.
Consider this timely gem from the ChosunIlbo as well:
This could be very problematic because current Korean law can result in punishing people who might say something that is actually *true*, thus this sort of proposed law will have more problems with enforcement and interpretation I imagine.
Secondly, what is to keep Koreans from posting on foreign sites? Koreans are already migrating from Korean portals thus the government is potentially harming business for domestic sites. I suppose this, in turn, could lead to the government to actively block more sites, thus South Korea would become more and more like China and emulating them is not a virtue, IMHO. (thanks to the “Western Confucian” for the link)
Regarding Sperwer, Nr. 6 — “the bar code on the back of my neck” — here’s Johnny Cash’s singing for you:
“Thirteen”
Although . . . you weren’t born in Missouri.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
Thanks, Jeffery; here’s my favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiLiTpBfpQM
Even silly boy entertainers get in big trouble in Korea for speaking, what they believe to be, the truth on the net.
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/09/09/2009090900422.html
What this kid said on a foreign website was essentially true from his perspective and now his career in Korea is likely finished. In the US or UK this controversy stuff is what builds careers. Of course he’s probably not an innovator or particularly outstanding rapper compared to the competition back home but Koreans think he’s amazing because he looks and speaks Korean. And Koreans drive him nuts. Koreans drive other Koreans crazy too… big deal. And “Korea is gay”? Very astute observation from a dude in a corporate conceived 꽃미남 pretty boy band. I’m sure his 아저씨svengali wears fuzzy pink sweaters and ties with rhinestones on it, just like many other Korean men.
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