South Korea’s investigative agencies obtained a record 7.88 million personal records from telecom operators last year amid deepening worries over the security of personal data across the globe.

The figure marked a sharp increase from 2011 when local authorities obtained 5.85 million personal records, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

The amount of personal data given to the agencies has been growing steadily in recent years.

Under the current law, telecom operators are required to provide personal data when requested by investigative agencies.

Experts expressed concerns about the greater amount of personal data being provided so easily to national authorities including the police, the prosecution and the the National Intelligence Service. 

By Im Woo-jung, Intern reporter
(iwj@heraldcorp.com)