[Exclusive]Korail, Special Treatment Allegations Regarding Park Wi's KTX CCTV? "No Issues"... "Available for Personal Review" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As popular YouTuber Park Wi faces backlash after releasing internal KTX CCTV footage, Korail (Korea Railroad Corporation), the operator of KTX, has stated that there were no procedural issues regarding allegations of special treatment in how Park Wi obtained the CCTV footage. The corporation explained that the footage was provided through standard procedures in accordance with guidelines from the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

On the 25th, in response to StarNews' inquiry about how Park Wi obtained the CCTV footage, Korail stated, "The data subject may review or obtain copies of their own CCTV footage," adding that "personal information of third parties is protected through appropriate measures."

Citing Article 4 (Rights of Data Subjects) and Article 35 (Right to Access Personal Information) of the Personal Information Protection Act, Korail explained, "Data subjects (customers) have the right to request access to their personal information (including obtaining copies) from data processors (the corporation), and the corporation must take measures to enable such access."

However, Korail noted that if third parties appear in CCTV footage who are not the data subject, additional protective measures are required. In the actual CCTV footage released by Park Wi, faces of others, including social service personnel, were blurred with mosaics.

Korail stated, "In cases where individuals other than the data subject can be clearly identified or there is a risk of privacy infringement, protective measures must be taken to prevent identification of their images in accordance with Article 46 (Protection of Personal Video Information for Persons Other Than Data Subjects) of the 'Standard Personal Information Protection Guidelines'."

Regarding specific procedures, Korail explained, "After receiving a 'Request for Confirmation and Access to Existence of CCTV Footage' and verifying identification documents, protective measures such as anonymization or mosaic processing are applied to third parties before granting access."

This indicates that when the person recorded in CCTV requests access to or copies of their own footage, it is permissible under the Personal Information Protection Act. However, Korail did not specify the exact path or procedures Park Wi used to obtain the footage.

Regarding Park Wi's decision to release the CCTV footage via his YouTube channel 'Wi-racle', he stated, "A legal judgment may be necessary," but added, "Since the images of third parties in the video were processed with mosaics as per guidelines, there are no further plans for additional measures."

Korail reiterated that while data subjects have the right to access their personal video information, protective measures such as anonymization and mosaic processing are necessary to safeguard third-party personal information. The corporation confirmed it operates in compliance with guidelines from the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Meanwhile, Park Wi is a YouTuber with disabilities who produces various content aimed at improving social awareness of disabilities and disseminating rehabilitation information.

On the 21st, he released a video titled "Reason for Releasing CCTV Footage" on his YouTube channel 'Wi-racle'. In the video, Park Wi stated that he was injured while disembarking from KTX after using it for a lecture on the 14th. He explained that the CCTV footage showed him descending a ramp in a wheelchair when his wheel got caught on the foot of a social service personnel worker, causing him to be thrown from the wheelchair and fall to the floor.

Recalling the incident, Park Wi said, "Suddenly, I saw a foot right in front of me. My wheelchair got caught on that foot, and my body was thrown off and fell to the ground." He continued, "Honestly, I was extremely angry. I was so furious that I couldn't think clearly, and countless thoughts raced through my mind while I was already lying on the floor. It was an incredibly dizzying situation. Although the staff member did not intentionally cause harm, I was still angered simply by the fact that they placed their foot on the ramp."

However, he urged people to refrain from directing criticism at specific individuals, explaining that the footage was released to highlight the need for safety improvements, as a single mistake could lead to serious accidents. Following the release of the video, some criticized Park Wi for being excessive in his anger by releasing the CCTV footage even after the public service worker had apologized. As the controversy intensified, Park Wi made the video private and issued an apology.

Park Wi said, "I am sorry for disappointing many people. At the scene where the incident occurred, the staff member did their best to assist me and sincerely apologized. I failed to consider their perspective. I viewed only negatively a mistake that occurred in the process of trying to help me better."

He added, "My delivery method was immature, and my thinking was short-sighted. I apologize to everyone who worked hard at the scene. I also deeply apologize to all viewers who watched the video. I will take your advice seriously and approach future content creation with a more mature attitude. Taking this incident as an opportunity, I will act more cautiously and responsibly in all matters. Once again, I sincerely apologize," bowing his head.

However, even after the apology, controversy over the manner of releasing the CCTV footage continued, leading to the cancellation of scheduled lectures and talk concerts, with repercussions persisting. His YouTube channel 'Wi-racle', which had surpassed 1 million subscribers, dropped to 970,000 following the controversy.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original