By Jung Min-ho
The Constitutional Court ruled Friday that allowing the government to collect personal data on people convicted for possessing child pornography is constitutional.
In a six-two vote, the court reached a verdict confirming the validity of Article 42 of the Special Act for the Sexual Crime of Violence, which lets the government collect personal data on people who have received a jail sentence for selling, distributing or possessing child pornography.
Under the law, people who are found guilty of possessing child pornography could be sentenced up to one year or fined up to 20 million won ($18,000). The Ministry of Justice can collect their names, addresses and workplaces for 15 more years. But this does not apply to convicts who have only paid a fine.
The court said the law does not excessively limit the right to control private information.
"The Article helps the government manage ex-convicts effectively while infringing their rights only limitedly because the public does not have access to the information," the court said.
In 2014, a man surnamed Jun was indicted on charges of downloading and distributing child pornography. Last year, he was found guilty of the charges and received a six-month prison term suspended for two years.
The Constitutional Court ruled Friday that allowing the government to collect personal data on people convicted for possessing child pornography is constitutional.
In a six-two vote, the court reached a verdict confirming the validity of Article 42 of the Special Act for the Sexual Crime of Violence, which lets the government collect personal data on people who have received a jail sentence for selling, distributing or possessing child pornography.
Under the law, people who are found guilty of possessing child pornography could be sentenced up to one year or fined up to 20 million won ($18,000). The Ministry of Justice can collect their names, addresses and workplaces for 15 more years. But this does not apply to convicts who have only paid a fine.
The court said the law does not excessively limit the right to control private information.
"The Article helps the government manage ex-convicts effectively while infringing their rights only limitedly because the public does not have access to the information," the court said.
In 2014, a man surnamed Jun was indicted on charges of downloading and distributing child pornography. Last year, he was found guilty of the charges and received a six-month prison term suspended for two years.
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