By Kim Jae-won
The leaders of Anonymous Korea remain unknown but the hacking group has triggered fierce debate over its recent revelation of a list of members of a pro-North Korean website, which includes South Koreans.
Conservatives are lauding the hackers’ group for releasing the names of whom they call pro-North Korean sympathizers who subscribe to Uriminzokkiri.
This is feared to lead to a confrontation between forces of different ideologies in the South, at a time Pyongyang is threatening to attack the South and the United States with nuclear weapons.
In contrast, some Internet users criticized Anonymous, saying such an action would worsen an already broken relationship between South and North Korea.
“Don’t do any kind of cyber attack on North Korea, Anonymous! It will make the situation worse,” said Sean Yoon, a graphic designer based in Los Angeles, through Twitter.
Lying beneath the worry about further North-to-South confrontation is whether not just the alleged North Korean sympathizers Anonymous listed but also the group itself should be investigated.
The group Saturday posted a second list of alleged members of the North Korean propaganda website.
Prosecutors are now investigating South Koreans who are on the lists.
Although it is not clear whether it is trying to throw investigators off track, Anonymous asked that the South Koreans it listed not be punished under the National Security Law.
Critics say the hacking group is in no position to decide who should be punished because it has violated the Communication Protection Law by hacking the site and revealing the names of the members.
Anonymous Korea last week announced the names, e-mail addresses and dates of birth of more than 9,000 members of Uriminzokkiri, after it said it hacked the website, and disclosed details of another 6,200 alleged members Saturday.
Observers say that it will not be easy for the authorities to investigate the hackers’ group, even if the authorities are willing to do so.
They say it will be hard to trace their Internet protocol addresses because most are likely based overseas.
“(Police and prosecutors) should arrest hackers of Anonymous and punish them because unveiling the list is an obvious crime which destroys the principles of democracy,” said Chin Jung-kwon, a progressive social commentator and a professor at Dongyang University, through his Twitter account.
According to the Communication Protection Law, people who collect and disseminate others’ information on cyber space without permission are subject to up to 10 years imprisonment.
Prosecutors said being a member of the North Korean website does not immediately constitute a violation of the National Security Law, which prohibits South Koreans from extolling or spreading the political ideology of the communist state.