Census questions raise eyebrows over privacy

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:50

Law & Crime

Census questions raise eyebrows over privacy

Posted : 2020-11-05 16:58

Updated : 2020-11-05 18:46

A census interviewer asks questions in this file photo from 2010. Yonhap

By Kim Se-jeong

People are raising concerns over questions in the ongoing 2020 Korea census, which many see as a violation of their privacy, as the government tries to gather as much personal information as possible.

The census is conducted every five years and about 20 percent of the population is randomly selected for face-to-face interviews ― this year allows an online survey because of COVID-19 ― on their finances, employment and other topics.

"I expected to be asked about basic things, but the questions ranged from my academic background to wealth and my social activities, which can possibly reveal my political views," one person wrote in a mothers' group on Naver.

Speaking with a local newspaper, a 29-year-old woman in Seoul said she had also been put off by the types of questions asked. "The interviewer asked if I am planning to get pregnant, if I own my own home, how many rooms I have in my flat and the name of the company I work for. Is that really necessary for a census?"

On Naver cafes, it's easy to find postings expressing privacy-related worries about the census interviews.

"I felt naked. The census takes so much information that is so personal. And they don't explain why they need all this personal information," another wrote on Naver.

Another added, "I didn't want to do the interview, but the interviewer forced me to answer questions, saying I can be fined for refusing to comply. This is nonsense."

This isn't the first time people have felt uncomfortable and voiced concerns about census questions. In 2015, the Constitutional Court was asked to review the constitutionality of the way the interview was conducted.

"The interviewer visited my home late at night and forced me to answer personal questions with the threat imposing a fine," according to the complaint filed by the claimant.

In 2017, the court sided with Statistics Korea, the government body conducting the census, saying: "Data gathered through the census helps policymakers comprehend social and economic phenomena so they can make policies that improve the lives of the people. The public good that the census is trying to achieve is much more important than limited individual rights and therefore, the court doesn't see the interviews violated the Constitution."

Aware of the public complaints, the statistics agency attempted to assure people of privacy protection.

"There's no need to worry. According to the law, your answers are kept for internal use and the interview results can't be used for anything other than statistics," Statistics Korea said.

It also said that many census questions aren't just made up by the government but were drafted under the guidelines of the United Nations.

Seol Dong-hoon, a professor from Jeonbuk National University, also defended the statistics agency.

"I understand the increasing volume of complaints about the census. But, the data will be the basis for many government policies and I hope people will cooperate with the interviewers. Also, these personal questions aren't used just in Korea but in other countries like the United States and France," Seol said.

skim@koreatimes.co.kr