Online platform chats have been flagged for exposing children and adolescents to sexual crimes, yet the Broadcasting and Media Commission (BMC) has failed to conduct a proper investigation. Measures regarding Coupang's kidnapping ads are expected to be announced soon.
During a comprehensive audit of the BMC at the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on October 22, Rep. Lee Jeong-heon of the Democratic Party raised concerns about the exposure of children and adolescents to sexual crimes on platforms like KakaoTalk open chat and Danggeun Market.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of victims of online sexual exploitation rose from 73 in 2023 to 191 in 2024, more than doubling. Among these, victims under the age of 12 increased from 29 to 75 during the same period.
Rep. Lee criticized the BMC for its inadequate response, stating, "The BMC lacks data on the scale of anonymous and open chat usage among children and adolescents, the status of victims, complaints, and policy research materials."
Chairman Kim Jong-cheol acknowledged the BMC's shortcomings in understanding the current situation, saying, "We regret that we have not adequately protected youth during this transitional phase of the BMC." He added that platform operators are primarily responsible for self-regulation, while the government is enhancing youth protection measures and plans to legally strengthen the public responsibilities of global operators.
The issue of Coupang's kidnapping ads was also raised. These ads refer to instances where users are redirected to ads without searching for them while consuming online news and content. Rep. Lee Hoon-ki of the Democratic Party questioned the BMC's response to this issue following a previous audit on October 12.
Chairman Kim stated, "We will investigate violations under the Telecommunications Business Act and deliberate on them in the committee, with results to be reported soon."
Regarding the KakaoTalk brand message advertising issue, Kim noted, "Regulations concerning Kakao and advertisers are separate. Based on our findings, Kakao appears to be fulfilling its obligations to advertisers." When Rep. Lee pointed out that the principle of prior consent for commercial purposes was not upheld, Kim responded, "We will review this matter closely."
Meanwhile, a clash occurred between the ruling and opposition parties over the exclusion of Rep. Lee Jin-sook of the People Power Party from the audit earlier that morning. Questions did not commence until over an hour later. Following the Constitutional Court's partial suspension of the exclusion decision regarding Rep. Lee, the People Power Party demanded an apology from the Democratic Party for limiting her audit rights, while the Democratic Party maintained that the exclusion related to issues during her tenure as chair of the BMC remains in effect.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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