NHRCK Recommends Disciplinary Attention to Police Officer for Misuse of Personal Information
-The police officer’s use of personal information beyond its intended purpose is a violation of the right to informational self-determination-
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho, hereinafter “NHRCK”) announced on August 6, 2025, that it had found a police officer at ○○ Police Station to have inappropriately used the complainant’s personal information. The Commission recommended that the chief of ○○ Police Station issue a disciplinary warning to the officer.
□ The complainant alleged that the police officer (hereinafter “the Respondent”), who had previously investigated the complainant, had obtained the complainant’s contact information in the course of handling a criminal case and later used that information to make a personal call. During the call, the officer referred to the fact that the complainant had filed a complaint with the NHRCK concerning the Respondent’s conduct. The complainant submitted this case to the NHRCK in January 2025.
□ In response, the Respondent claimed that the purpose of the call was merely to inquire about alleged inaccuracies in the NHRCK complaint, asserting that they had identified themselves by name and affiliation and ceased further contact after the complainant ended the call abruptly.
□ After review, the NHRCK’s Committee on Human Rights Violations 1 (Subcommittee Chair: Commissioner Kim Yong-won) determined that the officer’s use of the complainant’s contact information, which was obtained during the course of official duties, for purposes unrelated to the original case constituted an infringement of the complainant’s right to informational self-determination. Accordingly, the Commission recommended that the chief of ○○ Police Station issue a formal warning to the officer.
□ The NHRCK emphasized that both the Constitution and the Personal Information Protection Act stipulate that personal data must be used strictly within the scope of its original purpose, and prohibit unauthorized secondary use to safeguard individuals’ right to control their own personal information.
