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South Korea's top court limits criminal liability for public officials under privacy law

By Wooyoung Lee ( March 25, 2026, 07:36 GMT | Insight) -- South Korea’s top court has narrowly defined who qualifies as a data controller subject to criminal liability under the country’s privacy law, ruling that employees of public institutions fall outside its dual liability provision for misuse of personal data. The ruling points to a potential enforcement gap, as government actors may not face the same criminal penalties that apply to private companies and individuals under the law.South Korea’s top court has narrowly defined who qualifies as a data controller subject to criminal liability under the country’s privacy law, ruling that employees of public institutions fall outside its dual liability provision for misuse of personal data....

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