A survey revealed that one in three elementary school students has chatted with strangers online, with 77.1% of those receiving requests for personal information or photos. This issue was raised during a comprehensive audit by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. Kim Jong-cheol, the chair of the Broadcasting and Media Commission, expressed regret over the inadequate protection of children and youth and announced plans to strengthen youth protection responsibilities.
During the audit, Kim responded to a question from Lee Jeong-heon, a member of the Democratic Party, regarding the scale of online chat-related harm to children and youth. Kim acknowledged, "We have been insufficient in understanding the current situation in this rapidly changing environment." Lee pointed out that the Broadcasting and Media Commission lacks data on the usage scale of anonymous and open chat services, as well as information on incidents, complaints, and reports related to children and youth.
Lee also presented findings from a survey conducted at an elementary school in his district, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. The results indicated that one in three students had experience chatting with strangers, and among them, 77.1% reported being asked for personal information.
Concerns were also raised about students' awareness of protective measures. Among the respondents, 33.6% were unaware of existing protective features, and 54.2% did not know about parental control functions.
In response, Kim stated, "The government must fulfill its social responsibility to protect youth. Platform operators should primarily self-regulate in the digital environment, while the government will complement this by strengthening youth protection responsibilities."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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