Ahn Cheol-soo analyzes data submitted by Korea Communications Commission
KCC issues zero correction orders for National Security Act violations this year
Police, NIS made no referrals to KCC through July
Ahn says agencies 'abdicating responsibility' by deferring to government policy
The Korea Communications Commission has issued zero correction orders for content violating the National Security Act so far this year, according to data obtained by a lawmaker. The KCC is a statutory body that independently reviews content to ensure the public interest and fairness of broadcasting and to promote a sound online information environment.
People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo said Tuesday, after analyzing data submitted by the KCC, that the agency had issued no correction orders for National Security Act violations from the start of the year through July.
Annual correction orders for such violations reached 2,071 in 2022, 2,302 in 2023 and 2,546 in 2024. The figure dropped to 610 in 2025, the first year of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and has fallen to zero this year.
The sharp decline in 2025 is partly attributed to a prolonged gap in operations after former KCC Chairman Ryu Hee-rim resigned, leaving the predecessor body unable to function normally for an extended period.
Particularly notable this year is that neither the National Intelligence Service nor the Korean National Police Agency submitted a single referral to the KCC related to National Security Act violations. Ahn's office confirmed with the KCC that neither agency had forwarded any such review requests through July.
The KCC has not halted reviews of other illegal content, however. In the first half of this year, the commission issued correction orders — including deletion and access-blocking requests — for 33,869 items of digital sex crime content, including illegally filmed footage and deepfake sexual videos. On June 29, it also blocked access to 1,887 items of prostitution solicitation content on social media platforms in a single action.
The current Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection classifies content that facilitates acts prohibited under the National Security Act as illegal information, meaning the legal basis for blocking such content remains in place.
Until recently, the NIS and police had regularly referred National Security Act violations for blocking. In May 2024, the KCC's predecessor body blocked 29 videos of "Chingeunhan Eobeoyi" ("Friendly Father"), a song praising Kim Jong-un, following a request from the NIS. In 2023, North Korean YouTube channels including "Songa," "Yumi" and "NEW DPRK" were blocked after the NIS determined they carried regime propaganda. In March of the following year, the body blocked 47 items flagged by police as National Security Act violations after receiving a formal review request.
Political observers note that the recent shift in enforcement coincides with the government's move to open up access to North Korean information. On Dec. 30 last year, the government reclassified North Korea's Rodong Sinmun from restricted to general reference material, and completed follow-up measures for unrestricted public access in February. The newspaper is now available at 79 institutions nationwide, and readers no longer need to submit a separate application stating their identity and purpose, as was required before the reclassification.
"Even if the government is pursuing a policy of opening up access to North Korean media, having zero correction orders is a problem," Ahn said. "The NIS and police are abdicating their responsibilities by hiding behind government policy."
He added that even well-intentioned policies can have side effects, and that problems arise when oversight is abandoned entirely. The agencies should begin reviewing potential risks now and move toward preventing them before they occur, he said.
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