[The Hankyoreh, June 23 2007] Law revision to threaten communications privacy, civic groups say

Gov't now granted right to eavesdrop, access more phone, Internet records

Despite strong outcry from civic and human rights groups, the National Assembly's Legislative and Judicial Committee on June 22 passed a revision to the law aimed at allowing the nation's intelligence and investigative authorities to eavesdrop on personal conversations via mobile phone and Internet use records.
Under the law, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), police, and prosecutors would be allowed to wiretap all communications in connection with their investigation into crimes with a court's warrant. It also obliges the nation's Internet and communications service providers to modify their networks in a way that allows for such monitoring.