Identity Theft on the Rise in Korea

Thieves stealing personal information from Korean websites are on the rise:

For months, the police were chasing a man who was hawking illegal goods on the Internet: 13-digit identity numbers and other personal data that people in this highly wired country must submit to join most members-only Web sites.When last week they finally arrested the man, identified only by his last name, Song, they found that he was leading a 12-person ring that was selling compact disks that contained personal data for as many as 7.7 million people – names, identity numbers, home and e- mail addresses, phone numbers and Web site log-ons. The scale of the alleged crime convinced the government that it could no longer delay a planned overhaul of the country’s online identification systems – even though many Web site operators say they fear that the methods being tested are too cumbersome and will stifle Internet growth in South Korea.”It’s a reality we are facing,” said Ahn Sun, a police investigator. “Your personal data, and mine, are very likely out there circulating.”Song sold his CDs mainly to telemarketers, but data brokers like him – who are legion in this country, according to the police – are an enormous cause of concern to privacy advocates in South Korea, where 75 percent of the population has access to a broadband connection.