주민등록번호 도용의 문제점 및 개선방안 = Unauthorized Use of Residence Registration Numbers and Privacy Protection

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In Korea, the Residence Registration Number is made of birth date, sex, residence, etc. The public ID number, which each and all Korean nationals should enroll in the Administration, could endanger the privacy of each citizen. In the private sector, the Internet service providers usually make it a rule to demand user's Residence Registration Number. Accordingly, some users submit virtual numbers instead of their real numbers by using an automatic registration number generator, and others make an unauthorized use of other's ID numbers. As a matter of fact, 56 percent of claimants of violation of privacy protection, who filed with the Personal Data Protection Center for ten months in 2003, complained their Residence Registration Numbers had been illegally used or stolen.
Why does the Internet service provider demand the Residence Registration Numbers of users as a required information? Is there any appropriate identifiable information other than the Residence Registration Number?
There are so many issues and problems with regard to the unauthorized use of Residence Registration Numbers. First, the ID numbers were originally devised not for the commercial activities but for the administrative purpose. Second, the prevailing use of the automatic generators would make it difficult to prohibit the unauthorized use of the ID numbers. Third, Article 21 of the Residence Registration Act punishes only the violators who incurred financial damages to others by making unauthorized use of other's ID numbers. The current law cannot punish individual users of such automatic generating software. Surprisingly, the standard provisions of Internet shopping mall suggested by the Fair Trade Commission include the Residence Registration Numbers as required personal information. In other words, the government acknowledges the general use of the Residence Registration Numbers.
However, it should be noted that in foreign countries it is free to do transactions in the shopping malls or Internet portal sites without any personal ID numbers like the Residence Registration Number of Korea. It is dangerous for the protection of privacy to use the Residence Registration Number, in particular, for the profiling of personal information.
Therefore, we have to take account of the following measures to prevent the unauthorized use of other's Residence Registration Numbers:
- The Internet service providers should not be allowed to collect individual user's Residence Registration Numbers. Also it might be punishable to submit other's ID number without permission.
- Alternative ID's like credit cards or electronic signatures should be encouraged or recommended in the electronic commerce.
- Any other numbers covering no personal information could be managed and operated by a third sector institution like an escrow account suggested by FTC in the e-commerce transactions.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 서론
• Ⅱ. 주민등록번호 체계관련 국내·외 현황
• Ⅲ. 민간부문에서의 주민등록번호 수집·이용 및 도용현황
• Ⅳ. 주민등록번호 도용으로 나타난 문제점
• Ⅴ. 주민등록번호 도용에 대한 개선방안
• Abstract