Female cop illegally accesses Korean singer's address, visits residence; suspended
What's the story
A female police officer, known only as 'A,' has been suspended by the Chungnam Police Department in South Korea following allegations of illegally accessing a famous trot singer's personal information. An Yonhap News report on Tuesday revealed that 'A' used the police intranet to obtain the singer's home address. It was later discovered that she had visited the singer's residence in Seoul without permission, too.
Investigation
Singer reported privacy breach to police
Despite no harm being done, the singer reported the incident to the police due to privacy concerns. An ensuing investigation confirmed that 'A' had indeed obtained the trot singer's home address through the police's internal network. The identity of the trot singer has been kept confidential for their safety. This incident is not an isolated case of unauthorized access or use of personal information by police officers.
Consequences
Officer 'A' faces disciplinary proceedings and investigation
The Chungnam Police Department has initiated disciplinary proceedings against 'A'. Per reports, she is currently under investigation for violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. This violation carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50M KRW ($36,380). The case underscores the serious consequences for officers who misuse their access to personal information.
Past incidents
Previous cases of unauthorized access by police officers
This is not the first instance of police officers misusing personal information. In 2014, a police officer was imprisoned for illegally accessing a debtor's personal data through a computer network. More recently, on May 29, a former officer received a suspended prison sentence for leaking suspects' personal information in a case he was handling.