NPAD to hold government responsible for cyber surveillance

By Kang Seung-woo

The main opposition party said Thursday that, if necessary, it will push for a National Assembly investigation into allegations that government entities conducted cyber surveillance of private conversations between citizens held via online chat services.

“It has come to light that the government has carried out extensive cyber surveillance of local social network services,“ said floor leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), Woo Yoon-keun, at a meeting in the Assembly building.

“The NPAD will first check if the government monitors messages sent on instant-messaging services and the party will hold the government responsible if it is found to be true.“

His remarks came amid increasing allegations that the government has monitored conversations on KaKao Talk, the most popular mobile messaging app used across the nation, after President Park Geun-hye last month complained about a number of online insults directed at her, and ordered that the spread of such “false and malicious postings” be prevented.

Yoo welcomed the opening of military talks between South and North Korea, describing it as the starting point for improving stalled inter-Korean relations.

He cited the need for both Seoul and Pyongyang to keep the mood of their dialogue positive. “We need to take a future-oriented attitude while respecting each other.”

Yoo called on the government to put an end to the May 24 economic sanctions imposed on North Korea, to pave the way for the further development of inter-Korean relations. He called for an end to the campaign of sending anti-North Korea leaflets across the border attached to balloons, describing this as extremely harmful to efforts to make progress in relations.