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

*This content was translated by AI.

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 was "no procedural issue" regarding allegations of special favors in how Park Wi obtained the CCTV footage. The corporation explained that the video 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 individual whose personal information is recorded (the data subject) may request review or issuance of copies of their own CCTV footage," adding that "personal information of third parties will be protected through appropriate measures."

Citing Article 4 (Rights of the Data Subject) and Article 35 (Right to Access Personal Information) of the Personal Information Protection Act, Korail explained, "The data subject (customer) has the right to request access (including issuance of copies) and transmission of their personal information from the personal information processor (the corporation). The corporation must take measures to enable such access accordingly."

However, Korail noted that if the CCTV footage includes images of third parties 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 indeed blurred with mosaics.

Korail further 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 third-party images in accordance with Article 46 (Protection of Personal Video Information for Persons Other Than the Data Subject) 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 not involved as data subjects before granting access."

This indicates that when the individual recorded in the CCTV requests access to or issuance of 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 drew a line by adding, "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 its emphasis on both the data subject's right to access personal video information and the necessity of protective measures such as anonymization or mosaic processing to safeguard third-party personal information. The corporation confirmed that it operates in compliance with procedures set forth by 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 suffered an accident 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 the wheel got caught on the foot of a social service personnel worker, causing his body to be thrown out of 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 and confused, with countless thoughts racing through my mind, yet I was already lying on the floor. It was an incredibly dizzying situation. Although the worker 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 criticizing specific individuals, explaining that the footage was released with the intent of highlighting the need for safety improvements, as a single mistake can lead to serious accidents. Following the release of the video, some critics argued that Park Wi's decision to publicly share the CCTV footage—even after the public service worker had apologized—was excessive and overly angry. As the controversy intensified, Park Wi made the video private and issued an apology.

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

He added, "My method of delivery 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 a lesson, 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 subscribers following the controversy.

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*This content was translated by AI.